Field effectiveness of influenza vaccine is excellent in infants

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Allison et al probed immunization and healthcare billing registry data for healthy 6-21 month old children from five Denver pediatric practices to assess effectiveness of influenza vaccine on preventing influenza-like illness (ILI) and pneumonia/influenza during the locally confirmed period of solo influenza virus activity. They found excellent protection from two doses of vaccine: 87% for pneumonia/influenza and 69% for ILI. They also found that although circulating virus and vaccine composition did not change in the seasons beginning in 2002 and 2003, previously vaccine-naïve infants who received one dose of vaccine at the end of the 2002-2003 season and one dose early in the 2003-2004 season, as well as those who received just one dose in the 2003-2004 season, were less well protected than those who received two doses in the same season (2003-2004).

These and other considerations have led the American Academy of Pediatrics to encourage administration of both the first and second dose of vaccine to naïve children in the same influenza season. The editorial by Neuzil puts the data from the Denver study in context, and the potential benefits of an expanded influenza vaccination program in children in the spotlight.