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2007-08 INFLUENZA PREVENTION & CONTROL RECOMMENDATIONS
Options for Controlling Influenza
NOTE: For 2008-09 Influenza Prevention and Control Recommendations see Prevention & Control of Influenza - Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) 2008. MMWR 2008 Jul 17; Early Release:1-60. (Also available as PDF, 586K).
NOTE: The text below is taken directly from Prevention & Control of Influenza - Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR 2007 Jul 13;56(RR06):1-54. Also available as PDF (720K).
The most effective strategy for reducing the effect of influenza is annual vaccination. Strategies that focus on providing routine vaccination to persons at higher risk for influenza complications have long been recommended, although coverage among the majority of these groups remains low. Routine vaccination of certain persons (e.g., children and HCP) who serve as a source of influenza virus transmission might provide additional protection to persons at risk for influenza complications and reduce the overall influenza burden. Antiviral drugs used for chemoprophylaxis or treatment of influenza are adjuncts to vaccine but are not substitutes for annual vaccination. Nonpharmacologic interventions (e.g., advising frequent handwashing and improved respiratory hygiene) are reasonable and inexpensive; these strategies have been demonstrated to reduce respiratory diseases but have not been studied adequately to determine if they reduce transmission of influenza virus. Similarly, few data are available to assess the effects of community-level respiratory disease mitigation strategies (e.g., closing schools, avoiding mass gatherings, or using masks) on reducing influenza virus transmission during typical seasonal influenza epidemics.
- Page last updated October 23, 2007
- Content Source: Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases (CCID)
- National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD)
