The 2009 seasonal influenza recommendations state that annual vaccination be administered to all children aged 6 months-18 years for the 2009-10 influenza season; and vaccines containing the 2009-10 trivalent vaccine virus strains A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1)-like, A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2)-like, and B/Brisbane/60/2008-like antigens be used. Vaccination efforts should begin as soon as vaccine is available and continue through the influenza season. Approximately 83% of the United States population is specifically recommended for annual vaccination against seasonal influenza; however, <40%received the 2008-09 influenza vaccine.

Maternal diet may play an etiologic role in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a common childhood cancer. Expanding on previous findings from phase 1 of the Northern California Childhood Leukemia Study (NCCLS), a population-based case-control study, it was attempted to further elucidate and replicate the relationships between maternal diet and ALL risk. In 282 case-control sets of children (205 pairs and 77 triplets) from the NCCLS, risk of ALL was inversely associated with maternal consumption of vegetable (OR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.50, 0.84); protein (OR: 0.55, 95% CI; 0.32, 0.96); fruit (OR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.65, 1.00); and legumes (OR: 0.75, 95% CI 0.59, 0.95). The risk reduction was strongest for consumption of the protein sources and vegetable food groups, independent of the child’s diet up to age 2 years.

The aim of this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial study was to assess the clinical and nutritional efficacy of a probiotic and prebiotic functional food for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition in 795 Malawian children (age range 5 to 168 mo). After stabilization with milk feeds, children were randomly assigned to ready-to-use therapeutic food either with (n=399) or without (n=396) Synbiotic 2000 Forte (lactic acid bacteria) for the duration of treatment (median 33 days). Nutritional cure and secondary outcomes were similar in both Synbiotic and control groups.