SELECTED ARTICLES FROM THE RECENT LITERATURE 2007

10/17/07

Flu Vaccine Available

Summary
The flu vaccine is now available. It contains a new influenza A antigen. The H3 N2 A and B antigens are unchanged from last year.

The vaccine is indicated for the following:

  • All persons 6 months old or older without a contraindication. In particular, it should be given to persons at high risk of influenza complications including:
  • Children 6 to 9 months old
  • All persons greater than 50 years old
  • Patients with chronic medical conditions
  • Women who will be pregnant during the influenza season
  • Healthcare workers in close contact with high risk persons

The optimal time for vaccination is October or November.

No shortages anticipated.

There are two types of vaccinations available:

  1. Killed, inactivated vaccine for injection.
  2. Live attenuated intranasal vaccine

The live attenuated vaccine is used in non-pregnant persons 2 to 49 years of age. It is not to be used in patients who are immunosuppressed, those with chronic cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, or metabolic disease, or children on chronic aspirin therapy.

Antibodies reach protective level about two weeks after injection of killed vaccine. In most individuals, they persist for six months, but in the elderly they may fall to nonprotective level in four months or less.

The efficacy of inactivated vaccine in preventing influenza is about 80% (lower in the elderly). In children, the live attenuated vaccine may be more efficacious than inactivated vaccine. Although it is very unlikely that live attenuated vaccine can produce significant person-to-person infection, it is recommended that recipients of the live vaccine who are in close contact with severely immunosuppressed patients avoid contact with such patients for seven days after vaccination.

Reference
Medical Letter, Volume 49, Issue 1271, pp 81-82, 2007.

 

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