A Q&A about getting flu shots
digg it!
Facebook
del.icio.us
Seed Newsvine
Fark It
Reddit
What if my child is younger than 6 months?
The flu vaccine is not approved for use in infants younger that 6 months. However, the risk of complications is higher in these young infants than it is for any other child age group.
The best way to protect babies from the flu is to make sure all members of the household and the children’s caregivers are vaccinated.
Is the risk really that great for otherwise healthy 6-month to 5-year-old kids?It can be. Each year an estimated 20,000 children younger than 5 are hospitalized in the United States due to the flu. It is their age that puts them most at risk, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Children ages 2 to 5 are more likely to be taken to a doctor, urgent care center or emergency room because of the flu, than healthy older children, the CDC said.
My child has never had a flu shot before, what do I need to know?Children ages 6 months to 9 years old who are receiving flu shot for the first time will need two doses of vaccine the first year they are vaccinated. The CDC recommends at least a 28-day wait between shots. The first dose “primes” the immune system; the second dose provides immune protection. It usually takes about two weeks after the second dose for protection to begin.
Children who get only one dose, but who need two doses, can have reduced or no protection from a single dose of flu vaccine.
Can kids get their shots at any flu shot clinic?
No. Clinics have different age limits, because different ages require different dosages. Check before taking your child to a flu clinic.
Is the flu vaccine safe? Doesn’t it contain the mercury compound thimerosal, which some parents fear is linked to autism?
The Food and Drug Administration says there is no evidence to support a link between thimerosal and complications from vaccines, such as autism.
Parents do have the choice of flu vaccines — an injection that uses killed virus and an intranasal spray that uses live but weakened virus. Some vaccines are thimerosal-free or contain only trace amounts: Sanofi’s Fluzone for children ages 6 months to 35 months and for ages 2 to 5 Sanofi’s Fluzone, MedImmune’s FluMist and Novartis’ Fluvirin (which is for ages 4 and older).
Most vaccines for adults do contain thimerosal.
Dr. Stacie Bleicher said even vaccines with small amounts of thimerosal should not raise concerns since the preservative has been removed from most other children’s vaccines, and the flu vaccine is not given to children under 6 months of age. She reiterated the FDA’s finding that there is no link between thimerosal and autism.
Are there side effects?
Children receiving the flu shot may have a low-grade fever and tenderness at the injection site, said Dr. Wayne Swisher.
Children who receive the live vaccine in FluMist may come down with very mild flulike symptoms including a low-grade fever, he said.
Is it too late to vaccinate?
No. Although the CDC recommends children receive their flu shots as soon as they become available, usually in September, people still can get protection if they have the flu shot in December or later. The flu season generally starts in October, but peaks in January or later. To date, there have not been any confirmed cases of influenza in Lincoln or the surrounding area.
Does my child need a flu shot every year?
Yes. Because flu viruses change every year, the vaccine is updated annually. So in order to be protected from this year’s predicted influenza strains, everyone needs to be be immunized annually.
Can’t antiviral drugs protect my child if she gets the flu?Influenza antiviral drugs treat the flu. The flu shot can prevent the flu.
Antiviral drugs, which can come in the form of pills, liquid or inhaler, fight the flu by preventing the virus from reproducing in the body. Antiviral drugs only are available by prescription.
For the best results, antiviral drugs should be started within two days of becoming sick, and be taken for five days. Antiviral medication is safe for children age 1 or older. Influenza antiviral drugs work against only the flu, they will not help against other viruses that can cause illness similar to the flu.
Are there benefits to the influenza antiviral medications?Antiviral medication can make the flu symptoms milder and shorten the duration of the illness. Early treatment of the flu with antiviral drugs can reduce the incidence of ear infections and the need for antibiotics in children ages 1 to 12. Although no studies have been done on children, doctors believe antiviral medications may reduce the risk of serious flu-related complications, as they do in adults.
What medications are recommended for children?
Only two antiviral drugs are approved for use in children. Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) can be used in children age 1 and older. Zanamivir (Relenza) is approved for treatment in children age 7 or older, but is licensed for use only in people without underlying respiratory or heart disease, including asthma.
Who else should get the flu shot?
— Pregnant women
— People age 50 and older
— People with chronic medical conditions
— People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
— People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from the flu, including health care workers; household contacts of people at high risk of complications from the flu; and household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children younger than 6 months of age.
Post Your Comment
Standards and RulesYour posted comment will appear after it has been approved.
Frequently asked questions about story commenting.