CDC: Children Should Be Vaccinated for Flu
Posted on: Thursday, 28 February 2008, 12:00 CST
An advisory committee for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta advises all children under age 18 be vaccinated annually for influenza.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which advises the CDC on vaccine issues, voted to recommend that annual influenza vaccination of children to include all children from 6 months through 18 years of age. The previous recommendation was for vaccination for flu of children from 6 months to 59 months of age.
Full implementation is expected by fall of 2009 at the latest to allow time to plan for the vaccination of the larger group of children. However, immunization providers should begin efforts to offer influenza vaccination to all children aged 6 months through 18 years in the 2008-09 influenza season if feasible, the CDC said in a statement.
The committee continues to recommend vaccination of all children who have certain chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, kidney disease or weakened immune systems. In addition, vaccinating children younger than age 5 should continue to be a priority because they are at higher risk for more severe influenza complications compared to older children, the CDC said.
Source: United Press International
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