title: Vaccinating high-risk children with the intranasal live-attenuated influenza vaccine: the Quebec experience.
abstract: Given the burden of illness associated with influenza, vaccination is recommended for individuals at high risk of complications. The live-attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) is administered by intranasal spray, thus directly stimulating mucosal immunity. In this review, we aimed to provide evidence for its efficacy and safety in different paediatric populations. We also share the Quebec experience of LAIV use through a publicly funded vaccination program for children with chronic, high-risk conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  from randomized controlled trials in healthy children and in asthmatics have demonstrated superior efficacy of LAIV over the injectable vaccine (IIV). LAIV is well tolerated: its administration is associated with runny nose and nasal congestion, but not with asthma exacerbations and is well tolerated in children with cystic fibrosis, when compared to IIV. The vaccine is well accepted by children and parents and can easily be part of vaccination clinics in paediatric tertiary care centres targeting children with chronic, high-risk conditions, not leading to immunosuppression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric; Infectious Disease Division - The Montreal Children's Hospital of the McGill University Health Centre, MUHC Vaccine Study Centre - Research Institute of the MUHC, Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Occupational Health, McGill University, Direction des risques biologiques et de la santé au travail - Institut national de santé publique du Québec. Electronic address: caroline.quach@mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Quach
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated
keywords: Asthma; Children; Cystic fibrosis; Live-attenuated influenza vaccine