By Savvy Auntie Writers

It's back-to-school season which also means it's flu-vaccine season. The American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children ages 6 months and older get a flu shot vaccine. The APP does not recommend nasal spray vaccines, which some children and parents and caregivers prefer.

The AAP is not recommending the nasal spray vaccines "after studies show poor effectiveness." The full list of recommendations were published on the AAP website today in its updated policy statement: "Recommendations for Prevention and Control of Influenza in Children, 2016–2017."

"New research shows that the flu shot provided significantly better protection in recent flu seasons compared with the nasal spray vaccine," said Henry H. Bernstein, DO, MHCM, FAAP, who co-authored the statement. "We want to provide children with the best protection possible against flu, and these recent studies show the flu shot is likely to provide a higher level of protection."

Under specific recommendations detailed in the statement, the AAP has recommendations for dose numbers for younger children. The AAP recommends that children ages 6-months through age 8 "need 2 doses if they have received fewer than 2 doses of any trivalent or quadrivalent influenza vaccine (IIV or LAIV) before July 1, 2016. The interval between the 2 doses should be at least 4 weeks. Other children ages 6-months through age 8 "require only 1 dose if they have previously received 2 or more total doses of any trivalent or quadrivalent influenza vaccine (IIV or LAIV) before July 1, 2016.

Children ages 9 and need only one dose of the flu vaccine.

Please refer your nieces' and nephews' parents and legal guardians to the statement for the important and more detailed information and recommendations from the APP.

Here's to healthy flu season 2016-2017 for all the children we love!

Photo: Esben Klinker
Published: September 6, 2016