Influenza vaccine is recommended annually for children aged greater than 6 months of age with certain risk factors (including, but not limited to, asthma, cardiac disease, sickle cell disease, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), diabetes, and conditions that can compromise respiratory function or handling of respiratory secretions or that can increase the risk for aspiration), healthcare workers, and other persons (including household members) in close contact with persons in groups at high risk. In addition, healthy children aged 6-23 months and close contacts of healthy children aged 0-5 months are recommended to receive influenza vaccine because children in this age group are at substantially increased risk for influenza-related hospitalizations.
Children aged less than 8 years who are receiving influenza vaccine for the first time should receive 2 doses (separated by at least 4 weeks for flue vaccine)
Children with history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome cannot get either flu vaccine.
Children under age 5, children with chronic medical problems, immune deficiency or close contact with anyone who has a severely weakened immune system must receive inactivated flue vaccine.
For more information about inactivated flu vaccine click here.
Healthy children 2 years of age and older who have no close contacts with immune deficiency may receive FluMist (live intranasal influenza vaccine).