title: Live attenuated intranasal influenza vaccine.
abstract: Annual vaccination is the most effective means of preventing and controlling influenza epidemics, and the traditional trivalent inactivated vaccine (TIV) is by far the most widely used. Unfortunately, it has a number of limitations, the most important of which is its poor immunogenicity in younger children and the elderly, the populations at greatest risk of severe influenza. Live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) has characteristics that can overcome some of these limitations. It does not have to be injected because it is administered intranasally. It is very effective in children and adolescents, among whom it prevents significantly more cases of influenza than the traditional TIV. However, its efficacy in adults has not been adequately documented, which is why it has not been licensed for use by adults by the European health authorities. LAIV is safe and well tolerated by children aged > 2 y and adults, but some concerns arisen regarding its safety in younger children and subjects with previous asthma or with recurrent wheezing. Further studies are needed to solve these problems and to evaluate the possible role of LAIV in the annual vaccination of the general population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal and Pediatric Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy. susanna.esposito@unimi.it
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Montinaro
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Groppali
authors.forename: Rossana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tenconi
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Semino
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Principi
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000276:immunology*; D053122:Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype / Q000276:immunology*; D009981:Influenza B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008004:Licensure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014611:Vaccination; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated