ACIP Recommendations for the Upcoming Flu Season
[Posted
7/29/05] The Advisory
Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has
updated the recommendations regarding influenza
immunization practices for the 2005-2006 flu season.
Priority groups for vaccination with inactivated
influenza vaccine for the 2004-2005 season included:
all children aged 6-23 months, adults 65 and older,
anyone aged 2 to 64 with chronic medical conditions,
pregnant women, residents of nursing homes and
long-term care facilities, healthcare workers
involved in direct patient care, out-of-home
caregivers, and household contacts of children
younger than 6 months, and those aged 6 months to 18
years on chronic aspirin therapy. These groups
remain target groups for the 2005-2006 season.
Principal updates include the following:
-
Add to the priority group persons with medical conditions that
can compromise respiratory function or increase the
risk of aspiration such as spinal cord injury,
seizure disorder or cognitive dysfunction.
-
Emphasize the need for annual
influenza vaccination among healthcare workers and
encourage employers to provide the vaccine using
approaches that maximize immunization rates.
-
Use both inactivated and live
attenuated influenza virus (LAIV) vaccines in an
effort to immunize as many people in the target
groups as possible. When inactivated vaccine is in
short supply, the use of LAIV—especially in healthy
groups such as the healthcare workers—is a feasible
method of freeing up inactivated vaccine for high
risk groups.
-
CDC and other agencies will
monitor the vaccine supply during the manufacturing
period and will issue recommendations regarding
tiered timing for the different priority groups at a
later date.
According to the National
Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data, vaccination
rates in 2003 for people 65 and older were at 65.5%,
36.8% for those aged between 50 and 64, 40.1% for
healthcare workers, and 34.2% for persons with
high-risk conditions aged 18-64 years.
Related Link:
CDC Flu Info Page
MMWR Recommendations
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