Immunizations
Updated Guidance From the American Academy of Pediatrics on Flu Vaccine Calls for Increased Effort to Boost Coverage for 2023-’24 Season
Experts advise that children receive the vaccine as soon as it is available, but to continue vaccination efforts throughout the influenza season
ITASCA, IL — The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) renews its recommendation that all children ages 6 months and older receive a flu vaccine this fall to prevent severe illness. Children younger than 5 years, especially those younger than 2 years, and children with certain underlying medical conditions are particularly vulnerable.
“As we saw during the 2022-23 flu season, influenza can cause serious illness in children,” said Kristina Bryant, MD, FAAP, who serves on the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases. “We have safe and effective vaccines that can protect children from severe flu and reduce the spread of influenza in the community, and we need to increase access to these vaccines.”
The policy statement “Recommendations for Prevention and Control of Influenza in Children, 2023–2024” gives credible vaccine information with updates for the 2023–2024 influenza season. A companion technical report offers greater detail on recent influenza seasons, influenza vaccine effectiveness, vaccination coverage, timing of vaccination, duration of protection, and vaccine delivery strategies. Both will be published in the October 2023 Pediatrics (published online Aug. 29).
The AAP says any licensed influenza vaccine appropriate for age and health status can be administered, without preference for any product or formulation as soon as doses are available.
Influenza vaccines for the 2023-’24 season have been updated to include a new influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 component. The influenza A (H3N2), influenza B Yamagata lineage and influenza B Victoria lineage components remain the same. Other updates include:
- Clarified recommendations for influenza vaccination of immunocompromised children
- Emphasis on improving access to the influenza vaccine
- Highlighting indications for influenza testing, including a discussion of at-home testing
Although flu vaccine remains the best way to protect children against illnesses linked to influenza, immunization rates fell again last year and disparities in rates persist.
To promote influenza vaccination in communities affected by health disparities, the AAP emphasizes engaging community members in the development of culturally relevant strategies. Public and private payers are requested to offer adequate payment for influenza vaccine supply and administration to pediatric populations.
Policy statements created by AAP are written by medical experts, reflect the latest evidence in the field, and go through several rounds of peer review before being approved by the AAP Board of Directors and published in Pediatrics.
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Immunization Links & Resources
- Experts predict young children won't get COVID-19 vaccines until 2022 (website)
- Immunizations - Communicating with Families (website)
- Mountain West HPV Project ACS | NCI CCC Partnership Model (pdf)
- AAP Vaccine Policy Pager (pdf)
- AAP Vaccine One Pager (pdf)
- Immunization Exemption Fact Sheet 2019 (pdf)
- Measles Outbreak
- CDC: 314 measles cases confirmed in 15 states (website)
- HPV Toolkit (website)
- Only 49 Percent Of US Teens Are Fully Vaccinated Against HPV, CDC Says. (website)
- Get Immunized Idaho (website)
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- Vaccination Report - May 2018 (pdf)
- Parent Handout: Take a Shot at Cancer (pdf)
- Infographic: HPV Screening (pdf)
- Protecting Our Children From HPV Cancers (pdf)
- HPV Vaccination: Just The Facts For Parents (pdf)
- HPV: Dont Wait To Vaccinate (pdf)
- HPV: Take A Shot At Cancer (pdf)
- Mission HPV Cancer Free Call to Action (pdf)
- Men Found Six Times More Likely Than Women To Have Highest Risk HPV Infection (website)
- Why HPV Vaccination Rates Remain Low in Rural States (website)
- AAP Issues Updated Flu Vaccine Recommendations (website)
HPV Resources & Links
COVID-19 Resources & Links
- Maternal COVID-19 Vaccination and Prevention of Symptomatic Infection in Infants (pdf)
- First months of pandemic saw spike in maternal deaths (website)
- FDA, CDC OK Pfizer booster for teens ages 16, 17 (website)
- Pfizer, BioNTech Ask FDA To Authorize Coronavirus Vaccine For Emergency Use For Children 5 To 11 Years Old (website)
- Guest Opinion - Do it for the kids: Another reason to get vaccine, as COVID-19 hits younger Idahoans (pdf)
- Outpatient COVID-19 Management Strategies in Children and Adolescents (pdf)
- Caring for Patients in Inpatient and Outpatient Settings During Episodes of Surge (pdf)
- Providing Acute Care in the Ambulatory Setting (pdf)
- FDA, AAP Caution Against Off-Label Use Of COVID-19 Vaccine In Younger Children (website)
- Face Mask FAQ (website)
- Advocacy Resources (website)
- Surgeon General Predicts High Likelihood Of COVID-19 Vaccine For Children Under 12 Approved During Next School Year (website)
- Majority Of American Parents Have Not Vaccinated Teenagers Against COVID-19 (website)
- Half of US counties have high COVID-19 transmission (website)
- Benefits Of COVID-19 Vaccination Outweigh Risks Of Heart Inflammation In Young People, CDC Advisers Say (website)
- COVID Vaccine Advice if You Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding (pdf)
- Changing The COVID Conversation (website)
- COVID-19 Vaccines May Be Available For Young Children In US By Fall (website)
- Many Parents Have Concerns About Their Children Being Vaccinated Against COVID-19 (website)
- Moderna says its COVID-19 vaccine is 96% effective in teens (website)
- CDC’s Recommendation That People Not Receive Other Vaccines Within Two Weeks Of The COVID-19 Vaccine May Pose Problems For Some Children (website)
- BioNTech expects vaccine trial results for babies by September (website)
- COVID-19 Vaccine Implementation in Pediatric Practices (website)
- Pfizer Says Its SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Is Safe And Effective For Children At Least 12 Years Old (website)
- Did flu shots and pneumococcal vaccines offer some COVID-19 protection? (website)
- Vaccine Hesitancy Toolkit (pdf)
- Act Early Idaho Resiliency Toolkit (website)