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A New Recommendation
Beginning this flu season, CDC recommends that
all children 6 months to 23 months old get a flu shot.
Children Less Than 2 More Likely to Be Hospitalized
Recent studies have shown that children less than 2 years
old – even healthy children – are more likely
than older children to end up in the hospital if they get
the flu. In some cases, they can even die.
To protect their health, all children 6 months
to 23 months old should be vaccinated against the flu. (The
flu shot is not approved for use in children less than
6 months old.)
The Studies
Two studies published in 2000 showed the same results:
that otherwise healthy children under 2 years old were
more likely to be hospitalized for serious flu complications
than older, healthy children. These studies were published
in the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal
of Pediatrics.
Based on this information, CDC recommends that all children
6 months to 23 months old get a flu shot.
Flu-Related Deaths in Children Last Season
During last year’s flu season, CDC received reports
of 152 flu-related deaths among children under age 18.
- All of these children had influenza infection diagnosed
by lab tests.
- Most of the children were less than 5 years old.
- Almost half of the children had an underlying medical
condition, but 40 percent were previously healthy.
- Of the 135 children who died that could have been vaccinated,
only 5 were “adequately” vaccinated against
the flu. Seventy-six children had not been vaccinated
against flu at all.
A Note to Parents:
The best time to get vaccinated is October or November.
Children getting a flu shot for the first time will need
two doses given 30 days apart so begin the process sooner
rather than later. (The first dose primes the immune system;
the second dose provides immune protection.) |