Health
FDA panel recommends lowering approval age for nasal flu vaccine
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted June 4, 2007
A Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committee voted in favor of expanding the use of the nasal influenza vaccine, FluMist, to most children 2 years old and older. The vaccine already had been approved by the FDA for use in healthy people 5 to 49 years old.
The panel, voting on May 16, supported the approval of the vaccine for children as young as 1 year old, but only if they don't wheeze. They agreed that children with a history of wheezing should be older than 2 before receiving the vaccine.
Although the FDA is not required to follow the advice of its panels, it usually does. A decision by the agency was expected by the end of May.
The intranasal vaccine was first approved for use in 2003.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/06/04/hlbf0604.htm.
