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THE CENTER FOR
VACCINE AWARENESS AND RESEARCH
Each year, influenza (flu) and its
complications cause thousands of children to be hospitalized, and
nearly 100 children die.
“Many parents do not realize how serious influenza can be. The
easiest and best way to protect children from this potentially
deadly disease is yearly vaccination,” said Dr. Carol Baker, a
pediatric infectious diseases specialist and executive director of
the Texas Children’s Vaccine Center.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all infants and
children 6 to 59 months of age get vaccinated yearly against flu.
Parents also may wish to protect their children between 5 and 18
years of age, especially those with chronic diseases, like asthma or
diabetes.
Since flu vaccine cannot be given to infants less than 6 months of
age, it is particularly important for every family member and
childcare provider of a baby to be vaccinated.
A serious disease
Influenza is much more than a minor
illness.
- Infants 6 to 23 months of age
who develop flu are hospitalized as often as elderly people who
get the disease.
- Children between the ages of 2 and 5 with influenza have more
trips to physicians and more prescriptions for antibiotics.
- Parents whose children get the flu miss more days from work.
“People often confuse influenza with other fall and winter virus
infections that cause fever and cold symptoms, but flu can be
much more serious," Baker said. "Flu may cause higher fevers and
seizures, and it lasts longer. A usually healthy child may be
ill for at least a week and fatigued for up to two weeks. Flu
may also have serious complications including pneumonia and
secondary bacterial infections, such as the “super bug” (methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA)."
Flu can be prevented by vaccination with the flu shot (anyone
age 6 months and older) or the flu nasal drop vaccine (healthy
people aged 2 to 49 years). Children younger than 9 years who
are receiving a flu vaccine for the first time or who had only
one dose the prior year need two influenza vaccinations. The
first dose prepares the immune system, and the second dose
causes protection two weeks later.
Protect your child and family
Infants and young children are at greater risk for serious
influenza than adults, and they are more likely to spread the
virus. Children with flu can spread flu germs two days before
their symptoms appear and for 10 days after. In contrast, adults
are contagious one day before symptoms appear and five days
after illness onset. Only vaccination can prevent spread to
other family members.
Baker said an estimated 130 million doses of the flu vaccine --
more than ever before -- are available this year. Houston health
care providers have had the vaccine since September and will
continue.
“Although flu vaccination should begin as soon as vaccine is
available, it can continue after the holidays into March,” Baker
said. "It’s almost never too late to be vaccinated."
In the past decade, influenza cases in the United States have
peaked in February 60 percent of the time and in January in 80
percent.
“Every year millions of vaccine doses are discarded and millions
of children remain unprotected,” Baker said. "Be sure to protect
your family this year."
For more information about influenza and influenza vaccine, see
TCVC website or
www.PreventChildhoodInfluenza.org
 
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