Facts on Flu Vaccinations for Children

Influenza, commonly known as "the flu," infects the windpipe or lung airways, resulting in headaches, chills, high fever and muscle aches. In some cases, the flu virus can be so severe that complications such as pneumonia set in. For those with a weak immune system, these complications can be deadly. Unfortunately, children are quite vulnerable to the flu virus and stand to benefit from a yearly flu inoculation, which can be administered in the form of either a nasal spray or an injection.

  1. Benefits

    • Research provided by the National Institutes of Health shows that children are responsible for the transmission of the majority of flu cases within the school environment. Breaking this vicious cycle of transmission has the potential to save thousands of lives each year, as well as reduce health care costs. Oregon State University explains that increasing the number of vaccinated children is the most effective way to do this. Although there is no mandate for children to receive the flu vaccination, there is a movement to inform as many parents as possible about the vaccination̵7;s benefits.

    Age Considerations

    • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all children over the age of 6 months receive a flu shot. All children between the ages of 6 months and 9 years require a two-part series, with a four-week waiting period in between, if it's the first flu shot they've ever received. The two-part series is also necessary if a child̵7;s vaccination history is uncertain or if previous shots were not received in accordance with CDC recommendations, according to the Children̵7;s Hospital of Philadelphia.

    Side Effects

    • Although it is impossible for children to acquire influenza from the flu vaccination, side effects are possible. Low-grade fever, aches and pains, as well as pain and swelling around the injection site, are common following the flu shot. The State University of New York Flu Clinic explains that children may also experience side effects after receiving a nasal-spray flu vaccination. These side effects include fever, aches and pains, headache, runny nose, vomiting and instances of wheezing.

    Vaccination Rates

    • Despite the flu vaccination̵7;s benefits, children̵7;s inoculation rates are lower than health officials expected. Researchers from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center conducted a five-year study showing that fewer than 45 percent of age-appropriate children receive the vaccination. Based on a study of 8,000 children, paid for by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in six kids under age 5 who has visited an emergency room with flu-like symptoms is given a flu diagnosis. Many of these cases could have been prevented had the child received the vaccine.

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