LAIV
Medical abbreviation · Infectious Disease
| Stands for | Live attenuated influenza vaccine |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
LAIV stands for Live attenuated influenza vaccine, an infectious disease abbreviation.
Nasal spray flu vaccine (FluMist) containing weakened viruses that replicate in the cooler nose but not the lungs. It is approved for healthy, non-pregnant people aged 2 to 49 and avoided in people with weakened immunity and their close contacts in protective environments.
Example: LAIV intranasal given to 8-year-old with needle phobia; no asthma history.
Usage notes
US advisers recommended against LAIV for the 2016–17 and 2017–18 seasons after poor effectiveness against H1N1 strains, then restored it. In 2024 the FDA approved FluMist for self- or caregiver administration at home. Antiviral drugs taken around the time of vaccination can reduce its effectiveness. Pronounced "LAY-v".
Related abbreviations
More infectious disease abbreviations
- IDSA – Infectious Diseases Society of America
- IGRA – Interferon-gamma release assay
- IIV – Inactivated influenza vaccine
- ILI – Influenza-like illness
- IRIS – Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome
- KS – Kaposi sarcoma
- LTBI – Latent tuberculosis infection
- MAC – Mycobacterium avium complex
- MDR-TB – Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis
- MDRO – Multidrug-resistant organism
- MERS – Middle East respiratory syndrome
- MIC – Minimum inhibitory concentration
See all 92 infectious disease abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.