The AAP is not expressing a preference for any of next season’s flu vaccine products, all of which will be trivalent.
The AAP’s 2024-’25 season recommendations released today continue to call for everyone 6 months and older to get vaccinated. Any licensed vaccine appropriate for age and health status can be used.
“We know that influenza vaccine offers substantial health benefits to children, including protection against severe and life-threatening illness,” said Kristina A. Bryant, M.D., FAAP, a member of the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases.
For children and adolescents, vaccines have been about 59% to 67% effective in preventing outpatient medical visits this season, according to interim estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They are about 52% to 61% effective in preventing hospitalization.
While only quadrivalent flu vaccines are available this season, the Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee on Tuesday supported removing the influenza B Yamagata component for the 2024-’25 season. The strain has not circulated since March 2020. Manufacturers confirmed they would be able to have trivalent vaccines ready for next season.
The trivalent vaccines will have an updated influenza A (H3N2) component. The influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 and influenza B Victoria lineage components will remain the same. The recommendations are in line with the World Health Organization.
The AAP will publish its annual influenza policy statement in Pediatrics later this year but released recommendations now so pediatricians can pre-book vaccines. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices typically votes on flu vaccine recommendations in June.
“As we plan for next year, I think we need to be ready to implement strategies to reverse a concerning trend in immunization rates and immunize more kids next year than we did this year,” said Dr. Bryant, healthcare epidemiologist at Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville, Ky.
About 51% of children had been vaccinated as of Feb. 17, lower than at this time during the last four seasons, according to CDC data.
Dr. Bryant highlighted disparities by location and race. About 37% of children in rural areas have been vaccinated compared to 50% in suburban areas and 56% in urban areas, CDC data show. About 45% of Black children, 49% of white children and 55% of Hispanic children have been vaccinated.
Vaccine hesitancy stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic may be playing a role in the low rates, while some families may have difficulty accessing the vaccines.
“There are still barriers to accessing influenza vaccine for many children,” Dr. Bryant said. “We need to understand what those barriers are so we can eliminate them.”
She reminded clinicians that children can receive flu vaccines on the same day as other immunizations, including COVID vaccines and the respiratory syncytial virus immunization nirsevimab.
Flu levels were elevated nationally as of Feb. 24, and influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 has been the predominant virus circulating this season.
The CDC estimates at least 26 million people have gotten sick, 290,000 have been hospitalized and 18,000 have died this season. At least 93 pediatric deaths have been reported. Typically, most of the children who die from flu are unvaccinated.
“We still might have a knowledge gap with some parents who don’t recognize influenza can be a serious life-threatening illness even for healthy children,” Dr. Bryant said.
Resources
- AAP tips on pre-booking flu vaccines
- AAP policy Recommendations for Prevention and Control of Influenza in Children, 2023-2024
- AAP technical report Recommendations for Prevention and Control of Influenza in Children, 2023-2024
- AAP clinical report Strategies for Improving Vaccine Communication and Uptake
- Information on flu from the CDC
- AAP flu toolkit
- Information for parents on flu vaccine from HealthyChildren.org
- Information on flu from the AAP Red Book
