While 62 percent of Americans receive flu shots every season, there are still 38 percent of Americans who refuse to have one because they either think it won’t work or they fear the side effects. And if schools don’t require it, are flu vaccines for kids really necessary? If you’re one of these people with doubts, there is one very good reason why you should go ahead and get your child vaccinated.
Flu Vaccine for Kids and Why It’s Important
Did you know that the flu vaccine can save your child’s life? According to the CDC, nearly three quarters of the children who died of the flu between 2010 and 2014 did not receive the flu vaccine in the time leading up to their infection. What does this study show us? Flu vaccines for kids may be more important than we initially thought. They can actually save lives.
Now that the FluMist is no longer an option, that may make parents even more hesitant to bring their child to the doctor for another shot. But when you think about how the flu vaccine is proving to reduce the chances of death by 65 percent in children, it may be a no-brainer. The benefit of getting your child one certainly outweighs its risks.
Which Flu Vaccine is Recommended for the 2018-2019 Flu Season?
For the 2018-2019 flu season, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends any age-appropriate flu vaccine including inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV), recombinant influenza vaccine (RIV4) or live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV4) with no preference expressed for any one vaccine over another.
At What Age Should You Start Getting the Flu Vaccinated?
Children 6 months of age and older should get a flu vaccine every season. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted for “universal” flu vaccination in the United States to expand protection against the flu to more people.
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