Pediatricians told not to use nasal flu vaccine this year

Ahead of flu season, the American Academy of Pediatrics has released its recommendations for using vaccines and antiviral medications for flu prevention, and nasal spray vaccines aren’t part of its plan.

The AAP guidelines referenced the recommendations from the CDC, which said in July that the FluMist nasal spray vaccine wouldn’t work for the 2016-17 flu season. Its effectiveness rate was 3 percent among children between the ages of 2 and 17, compared to 63 percent for the traditional injected vaccine.

This recommendation could affect how much of the vaccine is available.

“Without an intranasal influenza vaccine recommended for this 2016–2017 season, the AAP is working closely with manufacturers to make available an adequate supply with geographically wide and timely distribution of inactivated vaccine products for pediatric-aged patients,” the recommendation said.

The AAP went on to say pediatricians can boost acceptance of the vaccine—which has become a problem for many physicians—by explaining its importance for children, emphasizing when a second dose is needed and explaining why the nasal spray version isn’t available.

It’s recommended providers start offering the vaccine no later than October to get patients immunized early, and may continue offering it until June 30. All patients older than six months should be vaccinated, according to the AAP.

According to CDC data, 85 pediatric deaths associated with the flu were confirmed in the 2015-2016 flu season, with nearly 60 percent of those patients indicating no other high-risk underlying condition.