All children 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine each flu influenza season.
I agree with the CDC: "Yearly flu vaccination should begin in September or as soon as vaccine is available and continue throughout the influenza season, into December, January, and beyond. This is because the timing and duration of influenza seasons vary. While influenza outbreaks can happen as early as October, most of the time influenza activity peaks in January or later."
Based on the information we have now, we should receive plenty of vaccine supply. However, so far we have only received a small portion of our flu vaccine order. Except for a limited supply from the state's VFC program (CHIP insurance patients or patients with no vaccine coverage), we still do not have any injectable flu vaccine at our office.
We do have the nasal spray flu vaccine (aka FluMist®).
Here is the 2010-2011 vaccine information statement for the nasal flu vaccine: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-flulive.pdf.
In summary, children who have already turned 2yo and do not have any chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, and other illnesses) are eligible to get FluMist®.
By definition, all of our high risk patients (children under 2yo and children of any age with underlying chronic illnesses such as asthma, diabetes and other illnesses) need to get the injectable flu vaccine and cannot get the nasal spray version.
Here is the 2010-2011 vaccine information statement for the injectable flu vaccine:
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-flu.pdf.
Both the injectable and the nasal flu vaccines protect against the same 3 virus strains (the 2010-11 vaccine contains the 2009 H1N1 (aka swine flu) and 2 seasonal strains).
Of note to some parents, FluMist® does not contain thimerosol (a mercury containing preservative). We order the thimerosol-free injectable flu vaccine to give to children less than 3yo.
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