Importance of Vaccinating Children Early

As a healthcare professional, you can help protect more children from the flu by starting vaccinations as soon as a vaccine is available, and throughout the flu season. In fact, beginning vaccinations earlier will provide more opportunities for 2 dose adherence in eligible children less than 9 years of age.

FluMist is expected to be available before the typical vaccination period, so you can vaccinate at regularly scheduled visits, including:

• Well-child visits
• Back-to-school appointments
• Sports physicals

In a multicountry, culture-confirmed efficacy study† where influenza circulated through 12 months following vaccination:1; 4

• FluMist showed efficacy of 69%‡ against matched strains (A/H1N1: 83%, A/H3N2: 73%, B: 32%) (N=1,316)
• Protection was maintained during outbreaks that occurred 5.5 to 13 months after vaccination at 74% (A/H1N1: 81%, A/H3N2: 70%, B: 63%) (n=509)4

• † A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in vaccine-naïve children 24 months to <36 months of age for the 2000-2001 influenza season. Data is representative of the indicated population; full study population is represented in the Prescribing Information.
• ‡ Attack rates for FluMist vs placebo were 4.1% and 13.3%, respectively.

Next: Efficacy