I reported that it was looking like kids under 10 years old would need 2 doses of H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine, but that there was additional data being collected to confirm that it was truly the case. The original samples were tested 10 days after vaccination and some scientists theorized that the immune system would continue to build antibodies until 21 days.
Well, the data is in and has spoken in favor of two doses of vaccine for kids under 10 years old. Here are the specifics from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' report on Pediatric H1N1 Vaccine Clinical Studies:
- Among the youngest children (6 to 35 months), 100 percent had a robust immune response after the second 15-microgram dose compared with only 25 percent three weeks after the first dose.
- In children aged 3 through 9 years old, 94 percent had a robust response after the second 15-microgram dose compared with only 55 percent three weeks after the first dose.
- In general, the immune responses in children receiving two 15-microgram doses and those receiving two 30-microgram doses of vaccine were similar, suggesting that receipt of two 15 microgram doses is adequate to elicit a strong immune response.
