Babies younger than 6 months could be safely protected by seasonal flu vaccines, which are safe and effective in infants as young as 6 to 12 weeks.
Babies younger than 6 months could be safely protected by seasonal flu vaccines, which are safe and effective in infants as young as 6 to 12 weeks.
Researchers randomly assigned 1,375 healthy US infants to receive either two doses of the standard trivalent seasonal flu vaccine (protects against three strains of circulating flu virus) or a placebo vaccine. The vaccines were given one month apart, in combination with standard recommended infant vaccines.
No differences were found between the two groups of infants in terms of side effects or adverse events. About 11 percent of infants in both groups developed a fever within three days after vaccination. In the month after vaccination, serious adverse events related to the trivalent vaccine were rare. Immunological tests showed that nearly half of the infants who received the flu vaccine developed protective antibodies against at least two of the three influenza strains covered by the vaccine. No evidence was noted that the flu vaccine interfered with infant responses to routine childhood vaccinations.
The findings suggest that seasonal flu vaccine should be included in standard vaccinations for infants less than 6 months old. No flu vaccine is approved for use in infants less than 6 months old, even though children in this age group are at high risk for flu and related complications.
Based on the results of this study, potential protection against influenza could be safely obtained in infants less than 6 months old of age who receive standard infant dose of inactivated influenza vaccine, the researchers concluded.
Researchers randomly assigned 1,375 healthy US infants to receive either two doses of the standard trivalent seasonal flu vaccine (protects against three strains of circulating flu virus) or a placebo vaccine. The vaccines were given one month apart, in combination with standard recommended infant vaccines.
No differences were found between the two groups of infants in terms of side effects or adverse events. About 11 percent of infants in both groups developed a fever within three days after vaccination. In the month after vaccination, serious adverse events related to the trivalent vaccine were rare. Immunological tests showed that nearly half of the infants who received the flu vaccine developed protective antibodies against at least two of the three influenza strains covered by the vaccine. No evidence was noted that the flu vaccine interfered with infant responses to routine childhood vaccinations.
The findings suggest that seasonal flu vaccine should be included in standard vaccinations for infants less than 6 months old. No flu vaccine is approved for use in infants less than 6 months old, even though children in this age group are at high risk for flu and related complications.
Based on the results of this study, potential protection against influenza could be safely obtained in infants less than 6 months old of age who receive standard infant dose of inactivated influenza vaccine, the researchers concluded.
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