[ss834]

ACIP has made its recommendations for the coming year's flu season.

ACIP recommends that children 6 months and older get an annual influenza vaccine with no preference stated for either the nasal spray vaccine or the flu shot.
http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2015/s0226-acip.html

They'll be publishing the flu strains for next year's vaccine in an upcoming MMWR.

Here's an interesting article about flu mutations, including some discussion on bird flu. (Feb 4, 2015)
http://www.cfr.org/public-health-threats-and-pandemics/year-flu/p36079

 

[mamabear0314]

is the spray or shot more effective for a 2 year old?

 

[ss834]

is the spray or shot more effective for a 2 year old?

In the ACIP link they describe the studies that led them to recommend the spray for children 2-18 for this season, but after they did further studies, they are no longer making that recommendation. So, in short, neither is expected to work any better than the other.

 

[mamabear0314]

Gotcha, I thought that the spray was more effective in general?

 

[ss834]

This was the 2014-2015 recommendation, but when they looked at 2013 data (which wasn't available when they made this recommendation), it didn't look like LAIV was any better in that age group.

When immediately available, LAIV should be used for healthy children aged 2 through 8 years who have no contraindications or precautions (Category A). If LAIV is not immediately available, IIV should be used. Vaccination should not be delayed to procure LAIV. The age of 8 years is selected as the upper age limit for this recommendation based on demonstration of superior efficacy of LAIV (ages 2 to 6 years), and for programmatic consistency (8 years is the upper age limit for receipt of 2 doses of influenza vaccine in a previously unvaccinated child).
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6332a3.htm#Considerations_Use_Live_Attenuated

 

[mamabear0314]

Thanks The flu shot has always been one I felt I should do. It's so common and so many people die from it. :/

 

[ss834]

I think that's a good decision.

We (me, my husband and my kids) just started getting our flu shots this flu season. I never really thought we needed it, but there have been a few studies that show that when younger, healthier people get the shot it helps protect the higher risk groups (like people over 65) who tend to have less immune response to the shot. We go to a church with a lot of seniors, so it makes sense for me and my family to get the vaccine.

Of course, after reading more about it, I realized that flu can be dangerous for young, healthy people too, so that's obviously another reason we get the vaccine.

 

[sciencemum]

One of the reasons we get it is for our older relatives. I don't want to bring them flu when we visit if we can help it.

 

[ss834]

The flu vaccine strains that will be in next year's (Northern Hemisphere) vaccine have been announced.

The agency's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee called for the 2015-2016 vaccine to include the same H1N1 antigens, based on the virus responsible for the 2009-2010 pandemic. It will have an H3N2 strain similar to the drifted strain, dubbed A/Switzerland/9715293/2013, that rendered this year's flu vaccine less effective. It also will have a new B component, B/Phuket/3073/2013.


There will be no change to the extra B used in quadrivalent vaccines; it will still be B/Brisbane/60/2008.

http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/URItheFlu/50319

This link also has a discussion on the mismatch this year.