Such patients should be monitored closely if amantadine or rimantadine chemoprophylaxis is administered. Chemoprophylaxis throughout the influenza season or during peak influenza activity might be appropriate for persons at high risk who should not be vaccinated. Influenza vaccine may be contraindicated in persons who have severe anaphylactic hypersensitivity to egg protein or other vaccine components. The health-care provider and patient should make this decision on an individual basis. A among persons at high risk is unknown.
Insufficient data exist to determine the efficacy of rimantadine treatment in children.
Thus, rimantadine is currently approved only for prophylaxis in children, but it is not approved for treatment in this age group. Resistant viruses have been isolated from persons who live at home or in an institution where other residents are taking or have recently taken amantadine or rimantadine as therapy. Persons who have influenza-like illness should avoid contact with uninfected persons as much as possible, regardless of whether they are being treated with amantadine or rimantadine. A occur in institutions that house persons at high risk, chemoprophylaxis should be started as early as possible to reduce the spread of the virus. Contingency planning is needed to ensure rapid administration of amantadine or rimantadine to residents.