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Flu shots
We shed light on some common misconceptions about the flu shot
Should your kids be following suit when you roll up your sleeve for your flu shot each fall? Yes, says the expert panel that guides Canada’s vaccination policies, which recommends immunizing healthy kids against influenza. So, if you’ve got some pointed questions, read on for answers.
Q: Why would my healthy 10-month-old need a flu shot?
A: Influenza can cause major problems, including pneumonia (and, rarely, death) in healthy kids, particularly in this age group. Recent research shows that when it comes to developing serious flu complications, babies from birth to 24 months are on par with seniors, says Jeff Kwong, a physician at Toronto’s Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. Statistics show kids “have a one in 1,000 chance of having to be admitted to hospital due to influenza and about a one in 10 chance of needing to visit an emergency department or a doctor’s office,” he says. In light of this, Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) began recommending that healthy babies between six months and two years get vaccinated. All provinces and territories have since added a flu shot to their infant immunization schedule and now pick up the tab for the jab.
Q: What about older kids?
A: Even though kids over two are in a lower risk category than babies, many experts believe routinely immunizing toddlers and school-aged kids is still worthwhile because it cuts down on visits to doctors’ offices and emergency rooms, and lost workdays for parents, and protects younger sibs and relatives. “We recommend people get the flu shot regardless of their age and level of overall health,” says Elizabeth Shaw, a Hamilton family practitioner and spokesperson for the College of Family Physicians of Canada. (Ditto for the Canadian Paediatric Society, which suggests all kids over six months get a yearly flu shot.) “Even if kids don’t end up in hospital, they can get pretty sick with flu, and be down with a fever for the better part of a week.”
Q: OK, so why not vaccinate my baby before six months?
A: “The thinking is that it’s probably not effective before then because a baby’s immune system isn’t developed enough for this vaccine to work,” Kwong explains. Consequently, it’s doubly important to use other strategies to protect very young infants from catching the infection. That’s one reason the NACI also recommends that expectant moms get vaccinated.
Q: How well does the flu shot work in children?
A: According to the Ontario Ministry of Health, the vaccine is 77 to 91 percent successful at preventing respiratory flu infections in children. True, a few years back, a highly regarded group of scientists concluded it wasn’t clear whether the vaccine was any more effective than a sham shot in children under two. However, recent research suggests immunizing kids under two really does work, notes Joanne Langley, a professor of paediatrics (infectious disease) at Dalhousie University and the IWK Health Centre in Halifax. For instance, one US study of more than 400 babies aged six to 23 months found the recommended two-shot regimen (the required dose in kids under nine who are getting vaccinated against flu for the first time) was 74 percent effective. While more research is still needed, most experts agree there’s enough evidence to support vaccinating the under-two set.
Q: Why do kids need to be vaccinated again every year?
A: Two reasons: First of all, the immunity lasts only long enough to cover the duration of that year’s flu season. Second, the protein “coat” on an influenza virus changes subtly from year to year. Since protection depends on your immune system’s ability to quickly recognize and kill the virus, this “disguise” can allow the germ to slip under the radar and make you sick.
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What do you think?
Anonymous says ....
I think this report is very one-sided -no common sense approaches to avoiding the flu were discussed: getting a good night's sleep every night, eating a "whole food, not too much mostly plants" diet and exercise