CDC Update On Prevention/ Control of Influenza
Abstract & Commentary
By Stan Deresinski, MD, FACP, Clinical Professor of Medicine, Stanford, Associate Chief of Infectious Diseases, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, is Editor for Infectious Disease Alert.
Source: CDC. Prevention and control of influenza. Recommendations of the advisory committee on immunization practices (ACIP), 2007. MMWR. June 29, 2007 / 56:1-54. http://www.cdc.gov
Synopsis: Recommendations for the upcoming flu season from the CDC.
In anticipation of the 2007-2008 influenza season, The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) have updated their 2006 recommendations concerning the prevention and control of influenza.
Despite the yearly drumbeat, less than one-half of some at-risk groups receive influenza vaccination in the United States. These poorly served groups importantly include young children and adults at risk of complications of influenza virus infection, pregnant women, and health care workers.
No changes were made this year in the recommendations for chemoprophylaxis and therapy. In addition, the groups for whom vaccination is recommended have not changed (see Box). A number of significant updates, changes and emphases since last year's statement were, however, made:
- A reemphasis of the importance of the administration of 2 doses of vaccine to all children aged 6 months - 8 years if they have not been vaccinated previously at any time with either live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) (with doses separated by > 6 weeks) or trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) (with doses separated by > 4 weeks).
- Children aged 6 months - 8 years who received only 1 dose in their first year of vaccination should receive 2 doses the following year.
- A reiteration of previous recommendations that all persons, including school-aged children, who wish to reduce the risk of becoming ill with influenza or of transmitting influenza to others should be vaccinated
- The vaccine should be offered throughout the influenza season.
- In health care facilities, the level of vaccination coverage among health-care personnel should be considered an important measure of a patient safety quality program and policies to encourage vaccination of health care workers should be implemented. These policies may include, e.g., obtaining signed statements from health care workers who decline influenza vaccination.
- The 2007-2008 trivalent vaccine strains are A/Solomon Islands/3/2006 (H1N1)-like (new for this season), A/Wisconsin/67/2005 (H3N2)-like, and B/Malaysia/2506/ 2004-like viruses. Information regarding the use of TIV and LAIV is contained in the Tables 3 and 4.
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