Influenza immunisation in children: good for everyone or reserve for the chosen few?

Abstract 

Influenza infection leads to significant morbidity in children. There is a lack of sound epidemiological data to define precisely the true burden, severity and rate of complications in otherwise normal children. Effective and safe vaccines are available with the prospect of an intranasally administered live attenuated vaccine being licensed in the near future. There are few contraindications to immunisation and, for children who will benefit from the procedure, short courses of oral corticosteroids and confirmed allergy to egg can no longer be regarded as such. The uptake of immunisation in the UK and other countries in categories of children defined and targeted by the Department of Health is currently low. A number of challenges remain. Firstly, to define more precisely which children will most benefit from immunisation and, secondly, to gather much more persuasive evidence if routine immunisation of healthy children is to be contemplated. Once these strands of evidence have been pulled together we need a clear evidence-based protocol which will reassure doctors and parents of the importance, efficacy and safety of influenza immunisation in whichever group of children have been identified as appropriate recipients.

Keywords:  influenza, immunization, children, efficacy, safety, indications