Seminars in Pediatric Infectious Diseases  Volume 13 • Number 3 • July 2002

Influenza is a common disease of childhood. Young children and children with high-risk medical conditions are at increased risk of being hospitalized when infected with influenza virus. Children of all ages have excess physician visits and receive excess antibiotic prescriptions during influenza season. The safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of influenza vaccines in children are described in this review.

 Clinical trials and postlicensure experience have demonstrated that trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine is well-tolerated in children. Efficacy of the inactivated vaccine also has been demonstrated in numerous clinical trials. In comparison to trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine, investigational coldadapted, live-attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) has the advantage of an intranasal route of administration. A large clinical trial demonstrated the tolerability and efficacy of the trivalent live, attenuated product in children 15 to 71 months of age. Pending information on safety and coadministration of this vaccine with other childhood vaccines will determine if it is licensed and recommended for use in children, including possible expanded indications for routine yearly administration to young children.

From the 1 Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, and 2 Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN.

Kathleen M. Neuzil MD, MPH1. Kathryn M. Edwards MD2