ACIP no longer makes preferential pediatric recommendation for nasal spray flu vaccine

ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Thursday did not renew its recommendation for using the nasal spray flu vaccine instead of the flu shot in healthy children between the ages of 2 years and 8 years old. The decision not to renew the preferential recommendation was made based on new data from more recent seasons which have not confirmed superior effectiveness of LAIV as observed in earlier studies, the committee reported. 

 

ACIP recommends that children 6 months and older get an annual influenza vaccine with no preference stated for either the nasal spray vaccine or the flu shot.

 

The preferential recommendation was originally approved on June 25, 2014, after a review of data from several influenza seasons suggested that the nasal spray vaccine could offer better protection than the flu shot for children in this age group.