Vaccinations can prevent serious infections, keep people out of the hospital and promote healthier lives. As we’re heading into flu season, L.A. Care is sharing the latest recommendations from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the influenza and pneumococcal vaccines.
Influenza Update
For the upcoming 2018-2019 flu season, the FDA recommends that trivalent vaccines in the United States contain an A/Michigan/45/2015 A(H1N1)pdm09-like virus, an A/Singapore/INFIMH-16–0019/2016 A(H3N2)-like virus, and a B/Colorado/06/2017-like (B/Victoria lineage) virus.
The quadrivalent vaccine recommendation includes the above listed strains as well as B/Phuket/3073/2013-like (B/Yamagata lineage) virus (CDC MMWR, Jun 2018). The B and A(H3N2) component change from the previous season is the FDA’s response to increasing global circulation of antigenically similar viral strains. For 2018-19, the ACIP is also reinstating the live-attenuated nasal spray formulation, FluMist®, as a vaccine option.
Pneumococcal Disease
The Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria is the most common cause of bloodstream infections, meningitis, middle ear infections in young children and pneumonia. Those at highest risk for pneumonia are children younger than two, and adults 65 years or older. The CDC has published a dosing schedule reference for the two pneumococcal vaccination products available — Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine - Prevnar 13® and Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine - Pneumovax23®. The dosing schedule is dependent upon age, chronic comorbidities, and/or vaccination history:
CDC's Pneumococcal Vaccine Timing for Adults
CDC's Recommended Immunization Schedule for Children and Adolescents Aged 18 Years or Younger
L.A. Care strives to increase the vaccination rates among our members. For all L.A. Care members, the influenza and pneumococcal vaccines can be dispensed and administered at the pharmacy at no cost. There may be a co-pay associated with office visits if the member chooses to receive the vaccine at their doctor's office.