The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has modified its previous position and is changing its recommendation for the seasonal flu vaccine from ’should’ to ‘must’ for all children ages 6 months to 18 years. (The seasonal influenza vaccine is not recommended for children less than 6 months of age.)

“This past year’s recommendations encouraged annual vaccination of children. This year the CDC is no longer just advising vaccination whenever feasible but is instead issuing a full-out recommendation for the seasonal flu vaccine,” said Ann Schuchat, MD, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

Data show that only 40 percent of the US population received the seasonal flu vaccine in 2008.  Concerns over the seasonal flu parallel those over the H1N1 influenza virus. Clinical trials of two H1N1 vaccines will begin as early as next week, either alone or in conjunction with the seasonal flu vaccine. Efforts are being made to determine safety in children as well.

The H1N1 virus is best described as unpredictable, since it continues to cause illness, hospitalizations, and deaths in the US during the normally flu-free summer months. Most concerning is that it often affects young, healthy individuals as well as those at high risk, making children 0 to 4 years of age and pregnant women a top priority.