Sign-up for Influenza News
|
Control of Influenza
CDC states in its Recommendations for the Prevention & Control of Influenza (ref: MMWR, July 29, 2005, vol.54) that the primary option for reducing the effect of influenza is immunoprophylaxis with vaccine.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/rr/rr5408.pdf
The recommended groups for vaccination in the US are:
Influenza Vaccine Recommendations
1. People at high risk of influenza complications:
- People 65 years and older;
- People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities which house those with long-term illnesses;
- Adults and children 6 months and older with chronic heart or lung conditions, including asthma;
- Adults and children 6 months and older who needed regular medical care or were in a hospital during the previous year because of a metabolic disease (like diabetes), chronic kidney disease, or weakened immune system (including immune system problems caused by medicines or by infection with human immunodeficiency virus [HIV/AIDS]);
- Children 6 months to 18 years of age who are on long-term aspirin therapy.
- Women who will be pregnant during the influenza season;
- All children 6 to 23 months of age;
- People with any condition which can compromise respiratory function or the handling of respiratory secretions (that is, a condition which makes it hard to breathe or swallow, such as brain injury or disease, spinal cord injuries, seizure disorders, or other nerve or muscle disorders.)
2. People 50 to 64 years of age.
- Nearly one-third of people aged 50 to 64 years in the United States have one or more medical conditions which place them at increased risk of serious influenza complications. Vaccination is recommended for anyone aged 50 - 64 years.
3. People who can transmit flu to others at high risk for complications.
- Any person in close contact with someone in a high-risk group (see above) should be vaccinated. This includes all health-care workers, household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children 0 to 23 months of age, and close contacts of people 65 years and older.
Shown in the chart below are the percentages of the US population vaccinated in 2003 in each group.
Influenza vaccination coverage rates among adult target* population groups - National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), United States, 2003
Population group |
Crude sample size |
Weighted
sample size |
Influenza vaccination rate
% (95% CI†) |
All aged 50-64 yrs
|
6,666
|
46,000,500
|
36.8 (35.4-38.2)
|
All aged >65 yrs
|
5,662
|
33,677,900
|
65.5 (64.1-66.9)
|
Persons with high-risk conditions§
Aged 18-64 yrs
Aged 18-49 yrs
Aged 50-64 yrs
|
4,347
2,341
2,006
|
29,746,400
16,324,700
13,421,800
|
34.2 (32.5-35.9)
24.2 (22.1-26.4)
46.3 (43.7-49.0)
|
Persons without high-risk conditions§
Aged 18-49 yrs
Aged 50-64 yrs
|
15,654
4,637
|
113,504,600
32,425,100
|
15.8 (15.1-16.5)
32.7 (31.2-34.3)
|
Pregnant women¶
|
315
|
2,339,600
|
12.8 (9.0-17.9)
|
Health-care workers**
|
2,146
|
14,604,000
|
40.1 (37.5-42.7)
|
Household contacts of persons at high risk, including children aged <2 yrs††
Aged 18-49 yrs
Aged 50-64 yrs |
2,501
489
|
20,404,000
4,113,400
|
14.9 (13.4-16.6)
38.4 (33.6-43.5)
|
The MMWR Vol 54 report states that specific measures will need to be put in place to achieve the higher levels of vaccination targeted in the “Healthy People 2010” objectives, particularly in relation to persons with high risk conditions under 65 years of age. The following year, the US extended recommendations to cover the routine vaccination of children aged 6-23 months; an almost 50% vaccination level was achieved in the first year (see chart below).
Percentage of children aged 6 months-17 years reported to have received influenza vaccination,* by vaccination priority status -- Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United States, 2004-05 influenza season
Vaccination priority status |
September 2004 - January 2005 |
No. surveyed |
% |
(95% CI†) |
| Children aged 6-23 months |
531 |
48.4 |
(+8.8) |
| Children aged 2-17 years with high-risk conditions§ |
685 |
34.8 |
(+7.1) |
| Total children in priority groups |
1,216 |
42.2 |
(+5.9) |
| Nonpriority group children and others aged 2-7 years¶ |
5,349 |
12.3 |
(+1.8) |
* Interviews with household members were conducted during February 1-27, 2005.
† confidence interval.
§ Asthma, other lung problems, heart problems, diabetes, kidney problems, weakened immune system, anemia, or aspirin therapy for chronic conditions.
¶ Includes children aged 2-17 years who might be in additional priority groups, such as those with rare conditions not included in the survey and household contacts or out-of-home caregivers for infants <6 months. |
WHO Recommendations
for the use of influenza vaccines are:
- Residents of long-term care facilities for the elderly and the disabled are considered at high risk of influenza and its complications.
- Elderly non-institutionalized individuals suffering from chronic conditions such as pulmonary or cardiovascular illness, metabolic diseases including diabetes mellitus and renal dysfunction, and various types of immunosuppression including persons with AIDS and transplant recipients.
- All adults and children aged over six months suffering from any of the conditions mentioned above.
- Individuals who are above a nationally defined age limit irrespective of other risk factors. Although the appropriate age for general vaccination may be considerably lower in countries with poor living conditions, most countries define the limit age as over 65 years.
- Other groups defined on the basis of national data.
- Health care workers in regular, frequent contact with high-risk persons.
- Household contacts of high-risk persons.
Page last updated: 5/20/2009 12:00:48 PM
|
Print
Contact us
