This is an official
CDC HEALTH ADVISORY
Distributed via Health Alert Network
Wednesday, December 10, 2003, 23:00 EST (11:00 PM EST)
CDCHAN-00169-03-12-10-ADV-N
CDC Recommendations for Influenza
Prevention
On December
11, 2003, the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention will release an update on influenza activity
in the United States for the 2003-04 season in the Morbidity
and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Because of concerns about influenza
vaccine shortages, the update will include new recommendations, modified from
those appearing in an earlier HAN Update released November 21, 2003. Current recommendations include:
Vaccination
§ Emphasis should be placed on
targeting trivalent inactivated vaccine to persons at high risk for
complications from influenza: healthy children aged 6–23 months, adults aged >65
years, pregnant women in their second or third trimester during influenza
season, and persons aged >2 years with underlying chronic conditions.
§ Persons at high risk should be
encouraged to search locally for vaccine if their usual health-care provider no
longer has vaccine available.
§ All children at high risk, including
those aged 6–23 months, who report for vaccination should be vaccinated with a
first or second dose, depending on vaccination status. Doses should not be held
in reserve to ensure that two doses will be available.
§ Next priority should be given to
vaccinating those persons at greatest risk for transmission of disease to
persons at high risk, including household contacts and health-care workers.
§ Healthy persons aged 5–49 years
should be encouraged to be vaccinated with intranasally administered live,
attenuated influenza vaccine.
§ Decisions about vaccinating healthy
persons, including adults aged 50–64 years, with inactivated influenza vaccine
should be made on a case-by-case basis, depending on local disease activity,
vaccine coverage, feasibility, and supply.
§ Health departments should work with
their health-care providers to reallocate influenza vaccine to health-care
providers in need when possible.
Hygiene
§ Good respiratory hygiene should be
encouraged, including cleaning of hands, and staying at home when symptomatic
with fever and respiratory illness.
Medication
§ Antiviral medications with specific
activity against influenza A viruses should be considered either for treatment
or chemoprophylaxis for influenza A, especially in persons at high risk for
complications from influenza.
For further information on influenza, see http://www.cdc.gov/flu/
##This Message was distributed
to State and local Health Officers, Public Information Officers, Epidemiologists, HAN Coordinators, and Clinician organizations##
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