Children under 10 will need 2 doses of swine-flu vaccine, researchers say

Children ages 10 to 17 appear to need just one dose of the new swine-flu vaccine, but younger children probably will need two, federal health officials reported yesterday.

"Overall, this is very good news for the vaccination program, both in regard to supply of the vaccine as well as its potential efficacy," said Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Officials reported Sept. 14 that adults probably would need only one shot.

The findings are based on vaccine made by Sanofi Pasteur in Swiftwater, Pa., one of five companies producing vaccines for the United States.

Based on the findings, officials expected that younger children, who never have been exposed to a flu virus, will need a total of four flu shots this year: two for the regular seasonal flu vaccine and two about 21 days apart to protect against the swine flu.

Although data are not yet available for the new FluMist nasal-spray flu vaccine, officials said they expected similar findings for that vaccine.

So far, the vaccine appears safe, officials said.

"There have been no serious adverse events," Fauci said.

At least 21 states are experiencing widespread flu activity, which is highly unusual this early in the year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At least 47 U.S. children have died from swine flu this year.

"This is during a period of time when we usually would see zero children dying from influenza," said Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As a result, people between the ages of 6 months and 24 years are among those getting priority for the vaccine.

U.S. health officials yesterday ordered more swine-flu vaccine, bringing the eventual total to 251 million doses.

The government yesterday ordered an extra 27.3 million doses from Sanofi Pasteur of France, which produces flu shots at its Swiftwater factory. It also ordered 29 million more doses of the nasal-spray version of swine-flu vaccine, MedImmune LLC's FluMist.

The first vaccine is expected to become available in October.

VCU Medical Center is studying swine-flu vaccine being made by a different manufacturer. Dr. Linda D. Meloy said the pediatric section of the swine-flu vaccine trials there have enrolled 84 children ages 3 to 8, filling most of the 100 slots.

The first group of study volunteers returned Saturday for their first post-vaccine visit, which will tell researchers if their bodies have started making antibodies to fight flu.

A geriatric section of the study also still is recruiting volunteers.

Staff writer Tammie Smith and The Washington Post contributed to this report.