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FDA approves new COVID vaccines
CIDRAP • • business
Key Points:
- A study published in Pediatrics found that administering antiviral drugs to children within two days of flu symptom onset reduces their risk of hospitalization by 81%, with strong protective effects observed in children aged 5 years or younger.
- The retrospective study analyzed health data from 1,492 children, showing that 80.8% received antivirals within 48 hours, significantly lowering their need for hospital care compared to those treated later or not at all.
- Despite the benefits, many children with flu do not receive antiviral treatment; experts emphasize that early antiviral use should supplement, not replace, vaccination, especially for children under 6 months who cannot be vaccinated.
- Pediatricians are urged to increase antiviral use, particularly for high-risk and hospitalized children, amid concerns over declining flu vaccination rates and rising pediatric flu-related hospitalizations and deaths.
