CDC: Options For Calculating Flu Vaccine Dosage

New guidelines from the CDC provide clinicians with 2 methods for calculating seasonal influenza vaccine dosage in children ages 6 months to 8-years-old in the 2012-2013 flu season.

The deciding factor between the options is the availability of data on the child’s previous vaccination history, specifically whether or not they received the monovalent H1N1 vaccine before the 2010-2011 flu season. 

In cases where the information is unavailable, the simpler of the options can be utilized.

“Using this approach, children aged 6 months through 8 years need only 1 dose of vaccine in 2012–13 if they received a total of 2 or more doses of seasonal vaccine since July 1, 2010,” the authors wrote.  “Children who did not receive a total of 2 or more doses of seasonal vaccine since July 1, 2010, require 2 doses in 2012–13.”

This option, however, may result in children receiving 2 doses when only one is necessary.

The second option, which uses the child’s vaccination history before the 2010-2011 flu season to determine correct vaccine dosage, was rejected at a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, but still included in the CDC’s guidelines. 

“By this approach, if a child aged 6 months through 8 years is known to have received at least 2 seasonal influenza vaccines during any previous season, and at least 1 dose of a 2009(H1N1)-containing vaccine then the child needs only 1 dose for 2012–13.”

-Michael Potts

For the full guidelines, visit the CDC’s site.