Live attenuated influenza vaccine for children.

For many years, the UK seasonal influenza vaccination programme has been offered to people at higher risk from the complications of influenza infection, including those aged over 65 years and anyone aged over 6 months who is in a clinical risk group. In 2012, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended extending seasonal influenza vaccination to children aged 2-16 years who are not in a clinical risk group. In contrast to the vaccination programme for adults, which uses an injectable inactivated influenza vaccine, children are being offered a live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) that is administered intranasally. Here, we consider the evidence for the use of the intranasal influenza vaccine for children who are not in a clinical risk group.