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October 6, 2004

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON FLU VACCINES

INDEPENDENCE, MO

In light of the recent announcement regarding the reduced supply of the influenza vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued interim recommendations for influenza vaccination during the 2004-2005 season.

Who Should Be Vaccinated With the Flu Shot This Season?
Priority groups for vaccination with inactivated influenza vaccine this season are:

• all children aged 6-23 months,
• adults aged = 65 years and older,
• persons aged = 2-64 years with underlying chronic medical conditions,
• all women who will be pregnant during influenza season,
• residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities,
• children 6 months-18 years of age on chronic aspirin therapy,
• health-care workers with direct patient care, and out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of children aged < 6 months.

Other Vaccination Recommendations

• Healthy persons who are 5-49 years of age and not pregnant, including health-care workers (except those who care for severely immunocompromised patients in special care units) and persons caring for children aged < 6 months should be encouraged to be vaccinated with intranasally administered live, attenuated influenza vaccine.
  
• Persons in priority groups identified above should be encouraged to search locally for vaccine if their usual health-care provider does not have vaccine available.
  Many children aged < 9 years require two doses of vaccine if they have not previously been vaccinated. All children at high risk of complications from influenza, including those aged 6-23 months, who present for vaccination should be vaccinated with a first or second dose, depending on vaccination status. However, doses should not be held in reserve to ensure that two doses will be available. Rather, available vaccine should be used to vaccinate persons in priority groups on a first come first serve basis.
  
• Vaccination of Persons in Non-Priority Groups
  Persons who are not included in one of the priority groups above should be informed about the urgent vaccine supply situation and asked to forego vaccination.

Who Should Not Get Flu Vaccine

People in the following groups should not get flu vaccine before talking with their doctor:

• People who have a severe allergy (i.e. anaphylactic allergic reaction) to hens' eggs.
• It is prudent to avoid vaccination in people who previously developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) the 6 weeks after getting a flu shot.

More information will be distributed once available. If you have questions, please call the Jackson County Health Department at 816-404-6430 or your local jurisdiction health department (Kansas City Health Department at 816-513-6152 or City of Independence Health Department at 816-325-7188 or 816-325-7986).

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