ACIP broadens its policy for Influenza vaccination in pregnant women and children

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The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) passed new draft recommendations for influenza vaccine in children and pregnant women.

The basic recommendations for Influenza vaccination for 2017-2018 flu season would remain the same.

A major update was allowing of any licensed, recommended and age-appropriate trivalent or quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) or recombinant influenza vaccine (RIV) for pregnant women as against the previous recommendation which only specified inactivated vaccine (IIV).

Some of the committee members were uncertain about safety of recombinant influenza vaccine (RIV), Flublok.

Lisa Grohskopf, MD, MPH, medical officer of the influenza division of the CDC, did acknowledge that there were more data on the safety of inactivated influenza vaccines, she asserted to the committee that “the general overall safety profile of Flublok in comparison to inactivated vaccines is reassuring.”

In addition, the committee advised against use of quadrivalent live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV4), which is given by nasal spray, in the coming season because of its declining efficacy. The vaccine failed to show any statistically significant benefits in pediatric age group during last three seasons.

Also, Afluria, an inactivated influenza vaccine in both trivalent and quadrivalent formulas can now be safely administered to children aged 5 years and above instead of 9 years and above. This is because similar rates for febrile seizures and reactions were observed in both the age range.

The director of the CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will look into the approved recommendations.  Once reviewed and approved, the final recommendations will be published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Vaccinations before, during and after pregnancy.