AAP Reconsiders Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine for 2018-2019

Following a recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is reviewing the possible return of the nasal spray influenza vaccine for the 2018-2019 influenza season.

The quadrivalent live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV4, FluMist) was not recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during the previous 2 influenza seasons due to poor effectiveness, especially against H1N1 strains. However, the ACIP recently voted 12-2 to recommend LAIV4 for the 2018-2019 influenza season.

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The recommendation is pending approval from the CDC director in order for it to become CDC policy. In addition, the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases (COID) will issue its own recommendations for LAIV based on available evidence of its effectiveness.

“AAP values the importance of vaccines and influenza vaccine especially given the high rate of hospitalizations and deaths in children from this disease, and we are always very thoughtful regarding improving the benefit of influenza vaccines as well as the uptake of these vaccines,” said Yvonne A. Maldonado, MD, FAAP, vice chair of COID.

“COID looks forward to considering the return of a recommendation for LAIV use once we have an opportunity to carefully review all of the data on the newly reformulated vaccine,” she continued.

—Christina Vogt

Reference:

Jenco M. Academy reviewing possible return of nasal spray flu vaccine. AAP News. February 22, 2018. http://www.aappublications.org/news/2018/02/22/flumist022218. Accessed on February 23, 2018.