Though current guidelines call for two doses of the H1N1 vaccine for children under age 10, according to new research that will be published in the January 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, one swine flu shot may offer sufficient protection for infants and young children. As Alice Park reports for TIME:
The results suggest that one shot of the lower-dose vaccine may generate just as many flu antibodies as the two shots U.S. children currently receive, each containing 7.5 mcg of viral antigen. The findings could factor into discussions that health officials have as they make up recommendations for next year’s flu season. Having children get immunized only once, rather than twice, may help increase the percentage of kids who are protected against influenza.
Read the full article here.