THURSDAY, May 24, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Parents are advised to choose the injectable flu vaccine for the 2018 to 2019 season, according to a decision published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which will publish a formal policy statement on the issue in September.
The AAP Board of Directors has decided to advise families to choose the inactivated influenza vaccine for vaccinating their children this fall. The decision is being announced now as orders are currently being placed for vaccines.
According to the report, the quadrivalent live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV4), which is given by intranasal spray to healthy patients, was not recommended for the 2016 to 2017 and the 2017 to 2018 seasons. Based on indirect study data from the manufacturer suggesting that the new formulation would be effective, and review of published research, the LAIV4 nasal spray was due to be made available for the 2018 to 2019 season. However, based on review of the same data, the AAP recommends children receive the injectable form of the vaccine. The nasal spray can be given as a last resort for children who otherwise would not receive the flu vaccine.
“We really want to immunize as many children as we can against the flu with what we think will be the most effective vaccine,” Henry H. Bernstein, D.O., associate editor of the AAP’s Red Book Online, said in a statement. “That’s why we’re recommending the flu shot.”
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