The Influenza Vaccine

 The efficacy of the live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) is very low compared to that of the inactivated Influenza vaccine (IIV). Therefore, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the IIV vaccine for all children and adults and discontinuation of the LAIV intra-nasal vaccine.

​ The CDC also recommends an annual influenza vaccination for everyone, the exception being those few individuals with a specific contraindication, such as severe allergic reaction to a previous flu vaccine or to egg protein, or a history of Guilliam-Barre' syndrome within 6 weeks of previous influenza vaccine.