Study Looks at Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine and Children With Asthma

A randomized, controlled trial in 5- to 17-year-old children with persistent asthma showed that live attenuated influenza vaccine was no more likely to be associated with asthma exacerbations than inactivated influenza vaccine. In “Safety of Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine in Children with Asthma,” which will be published in the April 2022 issue of Pediatrics (published online March 28), 151 children with asthma, ages 5-17 years, were enrolled over two influenza seasons. The study showed overall low rates of asthma exacerbations in the 42 days after influenza vaccination, regardless of formulation, in the participants. Current recommendations caution against the use of live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV4) in children ≥5 years of age with asthma. These data support re-examining precautions to using live attenuated influenza vaccine in children with asthma, the study authors conclude.

###

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.