Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Flu shots have become a vital part of routine health care for kids. A child under the age of 5, who gets infected with the influenza virus is likely to become much sicker than a healthy adult, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC. Some years there haven't been enough flu shots to go around. You may remember that in there was a shortage of vaccines available, leaving some parents scrambling to find a place to get their kids immunized.
A scarcity of flu vaccine hasn't been a problem since. However, parents who wait too long to sign up their kids to get a shot from the pediatrician sometimes find the doctor's office has run out. The Centers for Disease Control CDC recommends starting the use of a seasonal vaccine as soon as available, including in September or earlier. Another reason to get a jump on flu season is if your child is under the age of 8 and is being vaccinated against flu for the first time.
They'll need two shots given 28 days apart to be fully protected so you want to make sure there's time to fit both doses in before flu season is in full swing. Let's say you miss the flu shot boat at your child's doctor's office and need to have your child vaccinated elsewhere. Some places to consider:. Note that many places that offer flu shots outside a doctor's office may not give them to young children, especially kids under 4, so call ahead.
As a parent, the best thing you can do to protect your children from the flu is to get them vaccinated before influenza starts circulating in your community. All children age 6 months and older get their influenza vaccine by the end of October or sooner. Everyone around your children should be vaccinated, too.
For the influenza season, there are two types of influenza vaccines available. The first is what many people call the "flu shot. All the vaccines available for children this year contain 4 influenza viruses two A and two B viruses.
The AAP recommends that any licensed vaccine available this year and appropriate for a child's age and health status be given to children, with no preference. Both types of available flu vaccine flu shot or nasal spray can be given according to their indications, with no preference, for the flu season. If your child is eligible to receive a COVID vaccine, it can be given at the same time as the flu vaccine, or at any time one after the other.
Talk with your pediatrician about your child getting the flu vaccine along with other recommended immunizations. Last flu season was unusual, with physical distancing, mask-wearing, hand hygiene and other steps to prevent the spread of COVID possibly doing the same for flu.
Getting a flu shot will help protect your child from one of these viruses. Keep in mind that symptoms such as a stuffy and runny nose can make it hard to give the nasal spray vaccine. A child who had an allergic reaction after a flu vaccine in the past should be seen by an allergist.
The allergist can help parents decide if their child should receive their annual flu vaccination. A child with a known history of egg allergy can receive the flu vaccine. When possible, children should get the flu shot in September or October. There's no need to wait, even if your child the previous year's flu vaccine in March or April.
Influenza season typically peaks in February, so not too late to get the shot during winter or early spring. Children 6 months to 8 years of age should receive two doses if this is the first time they are being vaccinated against influenza, or if they have only received one dose of flu vaccine ever before July 1st, Your pediatrician knows your child best.
The newer version appears to work as well as the shot. So either vaccine can be given this year, depending on the child's age and general health.
The nasal spray is only for healthy people ages 2— People with weak immune systems or some health conditions such as asthma and pregnant women should not get the nasal spray vaccine.
It also can make symptoms less severe if someone does still get the flu after immunization. Even if you or your kids got the flu vaccine last year, that won't protect you this year, because flu viruses change. That's why the vaccine is updated each year to include the most current types of the virus.
Sometimes the same types are included in the vaccine one year after the next. Even then, it's still important to get the yearly flu vaccine because the body's immunity against the influenza virus declines over time. Usually given as an injection in the upper arm, the flu shot contains killed flu viruses that will not cause someone to get the flu.
But it can cause mild side effects like:. The nasal spray flu vaccine contains weakened live flu viruses. So it may cause mild flu-like symptoms, including runny nose, headache, vomiting, muscle aches, and fever.
If your child has any side effects, talk to your doctor about giving either acetaminophen or ibuprofen and to find out the right dose. A warm, damp cloth or a heating pad on the injection site may help reduce soreness, as can moving or using the arm. Some things might prevent a person from getting the flu vaccine. Talk to your doctor to see if the vaccine is still recommended if your child:.
In the past, people with an egg allergy had to check with their doctor about whether the flu vaccine was OK for them because it's grown inside eggs. But health experts now say that the amount of egg protein in the vaccine is so tiny that it's safe even for kids with a severe egg allergy.
This is especially important during a severe flu season. Still, a child with an egg allergy who has had symptoms more severe than hives should get the flu vaccine in a doctor's office, not at a supermarket, drugstore, or other venue.
If your child is sick and has a fever, or is wheezing, talk to your doctor about whether to reschedule the flu vaccine.
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