Know the Benefits of Children's Influenza Vaccines and When is the Right Time for Vaccination

Is a child’s flu vaccine necessary? We often worry that our little ones will catch the flu or influenza.

This disease often reduces children’s appetite and makes it difficult for them to sleep because of a stuffy nose. According to experts, the flu vaccine is the best way to prevent children from getting the influenza virus.

Flu vaccination should be given every year, because influenza viruses often become resistant to the vaccine given in the previous year.

For children aged 6 months to 8 years, 2 doses of the flu vaccine are needed.

And for children who are receiving the flu vaccine for the first time, the second dose is given 1 month after receiving the first dose.

Let’s look at the following information about children’s influenza vaccines.

What is the Childhood Influenza Vaccine?

Flu, short for influenza, is a disease caused by the influenza virus. 

The flu virus infects the nose, upper airways, throat, and lungs.

Flu spreads easily and can cause serious illness, especially in young children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with certain chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes .

The flu can be a very unpleasant illness for children. It can also cause serious problems, such as bronchitis and pneumonia .

Who Can and Cannot Receive the Flu Vaccine?

Flu vaccine should be given immediately to children who have low immunity, suffer from cancer, diabetes, heart disease and lung disease.

However, children who are allergic to chicken eggs cannot receive the vaccine, because the vaccine is cultured in chicken eggs and may contain egg protein.

Function of Children’s Influenza Vaccine

Children can easily catch and spread the flu virus. Giving them the flu vaccine also protects others who are vulnerable to the flu, such as infants and the elderly.

As reported on the CDC website , here are the functions of the children’s influenza vaccine:

• Reducing the risk of flu illness and hospitalization among children.
• Proven to save children’s lives.
• It can make the disease less severe in people who have been vaccinated, but still get the flu.
• Reduces the risk of illness, which can prevent your child from missing school.
• Reduces the high risk of developing serious flu complications especially if your child is under 5 years old, or at any age with certain health conditions.
• Helps prevent the spread of flu to family and friends, including babies under 6 months who are too young to get the flu vaccine.

When is the Childhood Influenza Vaccine Given?

According to the CDC website , doctors recommend that your child get a flu vaccine every year, starting when he or she is 6 months old.

Some children ages 6 months to 8 years may need 2 doses for best protection.

• The CDC recommends that children get the flu vaccine in late October, before the flu starts spreading in your community. However, getting vaccinated later can still be beneficial and vaccination should continue to be offered throughout the flu season, even into January or beyond.
• Children 6 months to 8 years of age can get their first dose of the flu vaccine, and those who have only received one dose of the flu vaccine should then get two doses. The first dose should be given as soon as the vaccine is available.
• If your child has previously received two doses of flu vaccine (at any time), then you only need one dose of flu vaccine in the same year.
• Pregnant women should get a flu vaccine during pregnancy. Flu vaccines given during pregnancy help protect both mother and baby from the flu.

How to Administer the Flu Vaccine

This vaccine can be given in two ways, namely by injection or nasal spray . The vaccine given by injection contains an inactive/dead virus.

While the nasal spray vaccine contains a weakened live virus. Immediately after the vaccine is given, the body will react by forming a defense wall ready to fight the flu virus.

Reported from the pagesMayo Clinic, depending on your child’s age and health, parents can choose between a flu shot and a nasal spray flu vaccine:

Flu Injection

Children’s influenza vaccine in the form of an injection can be given to children aged 6 months and over.

Side effects may include pain, redness and swelling where the shot was given. Fever, muscle aches, headache, nausea and fatigue may also occur.

Nasal Spray

The nasal spray influenza vaccine for children can be given to healthy children aged 2 years and older.

Side effects of nasal sprays in children may include runny nose, wheezing, headache, vomiting, muscle aches, slight fever and sore throat.

Both are safe for children, but for children under 2 years old, the flu vaccine should be given by injection.

Both protect against the influenza viruses that cause this seasonal illness.

In the past, the nasal spray vaccine was not recommended for children because it did not appear to work as well.

The newer versions work well now. So, either vaccine can be given to children, depending on the child’s age and general health, as reported by the pageKids Health.

Nasal spray is only for healthy people aged 2–49 years.

Meanwhile, people with weakened immune systems or certain health conditions (such as asthma) and pregnant women should not get the nasal spray vaccine.

Flu Vaccine Side Effects

Maybe you are one of the parents who are worried and hesitant to give your little one a flu vaccine, because you have heard or read about the side effects of the vaccine.

Side effects usually start to appear 6-12 hours after the vaccine. However, these side effects are very mild and last only 1-2 days.

For vaccines given by injection, common side effects include redness and soreness of the skin around the injection site, mild fever, lethargy, and sore throat.

Meanwhile, the flu vaccine that is sprayed through the nose can cause vomiting, fever, headache and runny nose.

These side effects are not worth the benefits of the flu vaccine. So, consider getting a flu vaccine for your children, so they are more immune to the disease.

Serious side effects are rare. Take your child to the doctor immediately if they have trouble breathing or an abnormal heartbeat.

Parents may worry that their child will have a serious reaction or get a disease that the vaccine prevents.

Some vaccines can cause mild reactions, such as pain where the shot was given or fever.

However, serious reactions to vaccines are rare. The risks of vaccination are small compared to the health risks of the diseases they are intended to prevent.

Immunization is one of the best means of protection against infectious diseases.

Parents , we hope this information about children’s influenza vaccines is useful.

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Republished with permission from theAsianParent Indonesia