From the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, the Center for Disease Control, and the Bureau of Biologics of the Food and Drug Administration. Summary of clinical trials of influenza vaccines--II.

These studies indicate that the high-risk and normal pediatric populations can be safely and effectively immunized with a two-dose regimen of the influenza A/New Jersey/76 virus vaccine. In addition, the studies have demonstrated important differences between split-product and whole-virus vaccines in the pediatric age group. Furthermore, reactogenicity from the whole-virus vaccine administered in the schedules employed was acceptable after the first dose and negligible after the second dose. More detailed examination of the data will undoubtedly yield additional information of importance to current and future use of inactivated influenza vaccines in children.