AAP Updates Recommendations for Influenza Vaccination in Children

TUESDAY, Sept. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) — In an American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy statement published online Sept. 7 in Pediatrics, updated recommendations are presented for influenza vaccination and use of antiviral medications for children.

Flor Munoz, M.D., from the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and colleagues released updated recommendations for routine use of influenza vaccination and antiviral medications for the prevention and treatment of influenza in the 2021 to 2022 season.

During the 2021 to 2022 influenza season, the AAP recommends annual influenza vaccination for all children ages 6 months and older, without medical contraindications. Any licensed influenza vaccine appropriate for age and health status can be administered. For those with no contraindication to influenza vaccination and for whom more than one product is available, the AAP has no preference for any product or formulation over another. For children with suspected or confirmed influenza who are hospitalized, have severe or progressive disease, or have underlying conditions that increase their risk for influenza complications, antiviral treatment is recommended with any licensed, age-appropriate influenza antiviral medication.

“This year it will be especially important to keep our children healthy, as we’ve seen hospital beds and emergency services fill beyond capacity in communities where transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and other respiratory viruses remains high,” Munoz said in a statement. “This means catching up on all immunizations, including the flu vaccine.”

Munoz disclosed financial ties to UpToDate and several pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, Moderna, and Gilead.

Policy Statement

Technical Report