The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued newly updated recommendations for the prevention and control of influenza, in advance of the 2008-2009 flu season. CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends the following:

• Annual vaccination should be administered to all children ages 5-18 years, beginning in the 2008-2009 season, if feasible, but not no later than 2009-2010.

• Efforts should primarily target children aged 6 months through 4 years because these children are at higher risk for influenza complications.

• Either trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine or live, attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) should be used when vaccinating healthy persons aged 2-49 years (the previous recommendation for LAIV was for people aged 5-49 years)

• Providers should use vaccines containing the 2008-09 trivalent vaccine virus strains A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1)-like, A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2-like), and B/Florida/4/2006-like antigens.

The report includes new information on antiviral resistance. Oseltamivir-resistant influenza A (H1N1) strains have been identified in the United States and some other countries. However, oseltamivir or zanamivir continue to be the recommended antivirals for treatment of influenza because other influenza virus strains remain sensitive to oseltamivir, and resistance levels to other antiviral medications remain high.

The full report can be found in MMWR, July 17, 2008/57(Early Release);1-60.

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