Regardless of which type of flu vaccine they receive, children 6 months through 8 years should receive 2 doses, at least 4 weeks apart, unless they received:
- 1 dose in 2013 to 2014, or
- 2 or more doses of seasonal influenza vaccine since July 2010, or
- 2 or more doses of seasonal influenza vaccine before July 2010 and ≥1 dose of monovalent H1N1 vaccine, or
- at least 1 dose of seasonal influenza vaccine prior to July 2010 and ≥1 after.
Vaccine effectiveness. The CDC estimated that vaccine effectiveness during the 2013 to 2014 flu season was 66%.3 While this degree of effectiveness is important for minimizing the morbidity and mortality from influenza each year, it’s important to appreciate the limitations of the vaccine and not rely on it as the only prevention intervention.
Other forms of prevention. We need to advise and practice good respiratory hygiene, frequent hand washing, self-isolation when sick, effective infection control practices at health care facilities, targeted early treatment with antivirals, and targeted pre- and post-exposure antiviral chemoprevention. Details on each of these interventions, including recommendations on the use of antiviral medications, can be found on the CDC Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/flu.
