Antiviral Agents

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommend the use of antiviral agents as an adjunct to vaccination for controlling and preventing influenza.
The following summarizes key information regarding the use of antiviral agents. For more detailed information, please refer to the July 28, 2006 MMWR 55:RR10, Prevention and Control of Influenza: Recommendations for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Contraindications and precautions are detailed in these guidelines.
Antivirals vary, not only in their effectiveness at minimizing influenza disease severity and/or preventing complications, but also in the types of influenza against which they are effective, their side effects, approved age groups, dosages, and costs.