Tis the season for family and friends gatherings, but unfortunately, it is also the season for influenza or flu. The flu is a highly contagious virus, and the typical symptoms are fever, cough, sore throat, chills, muscle ache, and fatigue . Flu usually occurs from October through May, with the rates of infection highest among children. To combat this virus, our pediatricians recommend everyone older than 6 months old receive the flu vaccine. If your child is under the age of nine years old and has never had the flu vaccine, our doctors recommend your child receive two flu shots at least one month a part to boost their immune system.
It is vital that parents and their children receive the vaccine to avoid the flu since the virus may lead to pneumonia and even death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, close to 50,000 people die each year from influenza . Moreover, the CDC reports that 43 percent of children who died from flu were perfectly healthy children beforehand. "It truly is in the best interest of your child's health to get a flu shot," says Stephanie Durham, a licensed vocational nurse at The Children's Clinic. "Parents need to take the time to get their children vaccinated against this virus because of the high health risk it poses particularly to this age group ." Surprisingly, only 50 percent of children aged 6 months to 17 years population were vaccinated last year. The Children's Clinic hopes to help increase this vaccination rate by informing parents of the health risks to their child and encouraging them to make getting the flu vaccine a yearly family tradition.
