Control of influenza.

Influenza is the classic emerging infection. Despite the availability of relatively inexpensive vaccines and specific treatments, influenza is the least controlled vaccine-preventable disease. Vaccination coverage of high-risk patients has improved, but all-cause mortality attributable to influenza continues to increase. A supplemental strategy is to vaccinate the principal disseminators of influenza in the community: school children and working adults. The availability of the live, attenuated, cold-adapted nasal spray vaccine should facilitate this goal.