Influenza Vaccination Guidelines for Children and Adolescents

Age-Based Dosing Algorithm

Children 9 years and older, including 15-year-olds, require only 1 dose of influenza vaccine per season, regardless of prior vaccination history, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics 1, 2, 3, 4
For children 6 months through 8 years, 2 doses (at least 4 weeks apart) are required if they have received fewer than 2 doses of any influenza vaccine before July 1 of the current season, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics 1, 2, 3
Children 6 months through 8 years who have previously received 2 or more total doses of any influenza vaccine before July 1 of the current season require only 1 dose, as per the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines 1, 2, 3

By age 9 years, children have typically had sufficient prior exposure to circulating influenza strains to respond adequately to a single annual dose, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics 1, 2

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends not delaying vaccination to obtain a specific vaccine product—any available age-appropriate influenza vaccine should be administered 2, 3
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises not confusing first-time vaccination status with age-based requirements—for children 9 years and older, even first-time recipients need only 1 dose, as stated in the MMWR Recommendations and Reports 1, 2
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend not administering a second dose to a 15-year-old who received one dose earlier in the same season, as this provides no additional benefit, according to the MMWR Recommendations and Reports 5, 6