Authors

José Antonio Forcada Segarra1, Raúl Ayala Velasco2, Silvia Bernárdez Carracedo3

Position

1Grado de Enfermería. Diplomas en Salud Pública, Experto en vacunas, Gestión de Enfermería e Investigación en Enfermería. Enfermero de Salud Pública. Presidente de la Asociación Nacional de Enfermería y Vacunas (ANENVAC). Benicassim, Castelló (España)2Diplomado de Enfermería y Podología. Enfermero de Pediatría. Responsable de Enfermería. Centro de Salud El Sardinero. Santander (España). Vocal de ANENVAC3Grado de Enfermería. Diploma Universitario de Experto en Vacunas. Posgrado en Enfermería comunitaria. Enfermera de Pediatría. Centro de Atención Primaria Maragall. Barcelona (España). Miembro del Comité Asesor de ANENVAC

Contact address

José Antonio Forcada Segarra. Gran Avinguda Jaume I, 354. 12560 Benicassim, Castelló (España).

Contact email: ja.forcada@gmail.com

Abstract

The Vaccine Advisory Committee of the Spanish Paediatrics Association considers that anti-flu vaccination for children >6 months of age not included in risk groups is a recommended measure, because it provides individual protection and improves family and community protection. That is to say, universal anti-flu paediatric vaccination is recommended for children between 6 and 59 months of age; this is also suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Healthy children are the main source for spreading flu in the family, because they excrete a higher viral load, and for a longer time than adults. Children who seem to have the highest risk of flu-related complications are those with an underlying medical condition and, therefore, it is necessary to get them vaccinated.
For the 2022-2023 season, there are two types of anti-flu vaccines authorized in Spain for <18-year-olds, which are the parenteral inactivated and the inhaled attenuated vaccines. Parenteral vaccines are authorized for >6-month-old children (one of them, for >24-month-old children), and the inhaled vaccine from the age of 24 months. The Interterritorial Council of the National Health System has recently included this vaccination for all children in the 2023-2024 season.

Keywords:

Flu; child flu; Vaccines; inhaled vaccine

Versión en Español

Título:

Vacunación antigripal en niños