Recommendations for Prevention and Control of Influenza in Children, 2015-2016

The purpose of this statement is to update recommendations for routine use of seasonal influenza vaccine and antiviral medications for the prevention and treatment of influenza in children. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends annual seasonal influenza immunization for all people 6 months and older, including all children and adolescents. Highlights for the upcoming 2015-2016 season include the following: 1. Annual universal influenza immunization is indicated with either a trivalent or quadrivalent vaccine (no preference). 2. The 2015-2016 influenza A (H3N2) and B (Yamagata lineage) vaccine strains differ from those contained in the 2014-2015 seasonal vaccines. a. Trivalent vaccine contains an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1) pdm09-like virus; an A/Switzerland/9715293/2013 (H3N2)-like virus; and a B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus (B/Yamagata lineage). b. Quadrivalent vaccine contains an additional B virus (B/Brisbane/60/2008like virus [B/Victoria lineage]). 3. The dosing algorithm for administration of influenza vaccine to children 6 months through 8 years of age has been updated to reflect that virus strains in the vaccine have changed from last season. With an increasing number of organizations mandating influenza vaccine, all health care personnel should receive influenza vaccine each season and fully promote influenza vaccine use and infection-control measures. In addition, pediatricians should promptly identify children clinically presumed to have influenza disease for rapid antiviral treatment, when indicated, to reduce morbidity and mortality.