Children Under 10 May Require Two Swine Flu Shots: Report

It's unnervingly clear that even young, healthy people can die of swine flu if untreated. This places parents in an awkward position.

Many parents believe that children are over-vaccinated as is, and concerns about autism links are always there. The less shots the better, and new information can't be a comfort.

On Thursday, the vaccine manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur said that tests of its swine flu vaccine suggest that children under 10 may need two doses to be fully protected. Previously, it had been hoped that one dose would be sufficient to protect both children and adults.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USCDC) said the news on Wednesday was not surprising. They noted that this age group already needs two doses of seasonal flu vaccine to gain full immunity.

Federal officials have been hoping that one dose of either nasal spray or a shot would be sufficient, so that they can stretch the supply of vaccine. At the same time, parents, as I said, were hoping the same, for different reasons.

This also follows earlier news that indicated that the supply of swine flu vaccine may not be as robust as thought.