WHO now says one shot of N1H1 flu vaccine for children is enough

After three days of talks in Geneva, vaccine experts decided that a single dose of swine flu vaccination is enough to immunize adults and children under 10 years of age against the pandemic strain.

Health experts have been debating whether one or two shots are necessary to protect against H1N1. Europe's drug regulator recommends that the swine flu vaccines be adminstered in two doses, at least three weeks apart. U.S. regulators recommend two doses for children under 10.

Immunization experts say one dose needed

While clinical data was limited on the effects of vaccination on children under the age of 10, the WHO said that countries should give a single dose to as many children as possible rather than vaccinating only half of the young population with two shots each.

WHO official Marie-Paule Kieny said in a press conference call that the priority should be "to give all of them or as many of them one dose, rather than to vaccinate only half of the same number of children with two doses."

The WHO experts say more data on children aged between 6 months and 10 years are needed to determine whether one or two doses are enough.

ap/afp/reuters/cn

Editor: Jennifer Abramsohn