Summary of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) Statement on Seasonal Influenza Vaccine for 2016–2017

Abstract

Background: Influenza is a respiratory infection caused primarily by influenza A and B viruses. Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent influenza and its complications. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) provides recommendations regarding seasonal influenza vaccines annually to the Public Health Agency of Canada (the Agency). Objective: To summarize the NACI recommendations regarding the use of seasonal influenza vaccines for the 2016-2017 influenza season. Methods: Annual influenza vaccine recommendations are developed by NACI's Influenza Working Group for consideration and approval by NACI, based on NACI's evidence-based process for developing recommendations, and include a consideration of the burden of influenza illness and the target populations for vaccination; efficacy and effectiveness, immunogenicity and safety of influenza vaccines; vaccine schedules; and other aspects of influenza immunization. These recommendations are published annually on the Agency's website in the NACI Advisory Committee Statement: Canadian Immunization Guide Chapter on Influenza and Statement on Seasonal Influenza Vaccine (the Statement). Results: The annual NACI seasonal influenza vaccine recommendations have been updated for the 2016-2017 influenza season to include adults with neurologic or neurodevelopment conditions among the groups for whom influenza vaccination is particularly recommended; to include the new high-dose, trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine for use in adults 65 years of age and older; to recommend that egg-allergic individuals may also be vaccinated against influenza using the low ovalbumin-containing live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) licensed for use in Canada (NACI has previously recommended that egg-allergic individuals may be vaccinated using inactivated influenza vaccines); and to remove the preferential recommendation for the use of LAIV in children 2-17 years of age. Two addenda to the 2016-2017 Statement address these new LAIV recommendations. Conclusion: NACI continues to recommend annual influenza vaccination for all individuals aged six months and older, with particular focus on people at high risk of influenza-related complications or hospitalization, people capable of transmitting influenza to those at high risk and others as indicated.

The long and winding road to improving immunization rates: Sharing best practices in Canada

“…The article in this issue on the "what, where and for whom" of different National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) products offers helpful tips that will move Canada forward (12). For example, there are detailed evidence-based NACI statements on the PHAC website (13), NACI summaries in the Canada Communicable Disease Report such as the annual seasonal influenza vaccine statement (14) and update on hepatitis A (15) as well as practice-oriented immunization information including chapters on each vaccine in the Canadian Immunization Guide (16). These are all useful, regularly updated and one can subscribe to automatically receive NACI and CIG updates (17).…”