The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) provides advice and guidance to the Director of the CDC regarding the use of vaccines. The ACIP made the recommendation to not use live attenuated influenza vaccine, quadrivalent (LAIV4, FluMist) during the upcoming 2016-2017 flu season because of low effectiveness against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 during previous seasons.1 They still recommend annual flu vaccination, with either the inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) or recombinant influenza vaccine (RIV), for everyone 6 months and older. The American Academy of Pediatrics is also recommending that LAIV4 not be used during the 2016-2017 flu season.2
The FDA has determined that specific regulatory action is not warranted at this time3 and LAIV4 is still a licensed vaccine and is available for purchasing.
CPS supports the recommendation that LAIV4 (FluMist) should not be used during the 2016-2017 season.
Did you order FluMist this season? Are you planning on using it?
References
1. Grohskopf LA, Sokolow LZ, Broder KR, Olsen SJ, Karron RA, Jernigan DB, et al. Prevention and control of seasonal influenza with vaccines. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2016 Aug 26;65(5):1-54.
2. AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases. Recommendations for prevention and control of influenza in children, 2016–2017. Pediatrics. 2016 [cited 9/14/2016];138(4):9/14/16-e20162527.
3. Approved products > FDA information regarding FluMist quadrivalent vaccine [homepage on the Internet]. Silver Spring, MD: U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 2016 27 June [cited 9/13/2016]. Available from: http://www.fda.gov/biologicsbloodvaccines/vaccines/approvedproducts/ucm508761.htm.