Antiviral Treatment Underutilized for Children, Teens With Flu
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Nov. 19, 2024 -- Antiviral treatment is underutilized among children and adolescents hospitalized with influenza, according to research published in the Nov. 14 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Using data from two U.S. influenza surveillance networks, Aaron M. Frutos, Ph.D., from the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues calculated the percentage of children who received treatment among children and adolescents aged younger than 18 years with medically attended, laboratory-confirmed influenza for whom antiviral treatment was recommended. Trends in antiviral treatment were also examined for children and adolescents hospitalized with influenza from the 2017-2018 to the 2023-2024 influenza seasons.
The researchers found that 70 to 86 percent of hospitalized children and adolescents with influenza received antiviral treatment in 2017 to 2018; since then, the proportion receiving treatment decreased. During the 2023 to 2024 seasons, 52 to 59 percent of those hospitalized with influenza received treatment. In one network, 31 percent of those at higher risk for influenza complications seen in the outpatient setting were prescribed antiviral treatment during the 2023-2024 season.
"The decrease in influenza antiviral use among children and adolescents with laboratory-confirmed influenza since the COVID-19 pandemic is concerning," the authors write. "Health care providers are reminded that children and adolescents with suspected or confirmed influenza who are hospitalized or have higher risk for influenza complications should receive prompt antiviral treatment."
Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted November 2024
Read this next
Oseltamivir for Flu Tied to Reduced Risk for Serious Neuropsychiatric Events in Children
THURSDAY, Aug. 7, 2025 -- Oseltamivir treatment during influenza episodes is associated with a reduced risk for serious neuropsychiatric events among children and teens, according...
Larazotide May Speed Recovery in Children With Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 6, 2025 -- Treatment of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MISC), a postacute sequela of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)...
Study Estimates Global Burden of Vertically Transmitted Hepatitis C
TUESDAY, Aug. 5, 2025 -- Each year, nearly 74,000 children are born with hepatitis C virus (HCV) around the world, according to a study published online July 23 in The Lancet...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.