From: PEDIATRICS (doi:10.1542/peds.2008-2449)
Recommendations have been expanded to include all children ages 6 months to 18 years of age. Household members and out-of-home care providers for all children at high risk, adolescents, and all children under 5 years of age should also be immunized. Also, as usual, health care professionals and pregnant women should receive the vaccination.
The number of vaccine doses is age dependent. Children over the age of 9 who have never received an influenza vaccine only need one dose in their first season of being immunized. Any child under 9 years of age, receiving an influenza vaccine for the first time, should receive a second dose, four weeks after later. Children under 9 who received only one dose in previous seasons should receive 2 doses in the following season. This only applies “to the influenza season that follows the first year that child younger than 9 years receives an influenza vaccine.”
Efforts to immunize patients should begin at the onset of flu season and continue through May 1st as there can be multiple peaks of activity in one season.
