HealthcareThe Flu Vaccine, A Doctor’s Explanation

For many parents, the American Academy of Pediatric’s yearly urging to have otherwise healthy children vaccinated against the flu falls on deaf ears. 

“Parents will question why they need to vaccinate if their child doesn’t have asthma or chronic health problems,” says Dr. Hassan Alzein of Alzein Pediatrics in Oak Lawn and Evergreen Park, Illinois. “They feel they are exposing their children to the risk of side effects for no reason. Education is vital in helping parents understand vaccinations are needed to protect not only the child but the entire community, and the very small risk of minor side effects.”

Influenza, or the flu, is a respiratory illness caused by a variety of viruses which changes every season. Children younger than 5 years old are at a higher risk of life-threatening flu complications such as pneumonia, dehydration, encephalopathy and death. The CDC estimates that between 7,000 and 26,000 children are hospitalized with the flu each year. Hundreds of children die each year because of flu complications. 

The only children who shouldn’t get a flu shot, Dr. Alzein explains, are infants younger than 6 months old and those who’ve had a confirmed allergic reaction to the vaccine in the past. If your child has a severe allergy to eggs, consult your pediatrician before getting the flu vaccine administered. 

Children should get a flu shot because:

• Kids are more likely than adults to contract the flu

• Vaccinated children, even if they do contract the flu, are less likely to have serious complications

• Kids are less likely to miss school – and parents won’t miss work

• Kids with the flu are much more likely to infect others, including those at risk such as the elderly, infants and those with chronic illnesses
• The flu vaccine reduces the risk of hospitalization

• The flu vaccine significantly reduces your child’s risk of dying from the flu

The flu vaccine typically reduces the risk of contracting the flu by more than half. Each year’s immunization is custom formulated to the protect against the viruses expert predict will be prevalent in the coming season. Research shows the vaccines are usually up to 60% effective during the season. 

Mild Side Effects

When your child receives a flu shot, they may experience mild side effects. These may include:

• Soreness, redness or swelling at the injection site
• Headache
• Slight fever, less than 101˚F (38˚C)
• Nausea
• Overall muscle aches

Sometimes, children will faint when getting any type of injection. If your child has experienced this in the past, it’s best to have them lying down while the vaccination is administered and remain lying for about 15 minutes to fully recover. Offer your child a healthy snack when they sit up. 

If your child experiences these side effects, you may think the vaccine infected them with the flu. This cannot happen – you cannot get the flu from the flu vaccine. Give your child a dose of ibuprofen or acetaminophen that is appropriate for their weight to ease any side effect discomfort. Place a warm, damp cloth on the injection site and encourage your child to move their arm to relieve soreness.

Very Rare Reactions

In very rare instances, your child could experience a severe reaction. These reactions may happen right in your pediatrician’s office after the shot, or at home a few hours later:

• Difficulty breathing
• High fever
• Wheezing or hoarseness
• Swelling around the lips or eyes
• Accelerated heartbeat
• Dizziness
• Paleness or clamminess
• Sudden weakness

If you’re not at the physician’s office, call 9-1-1 immediately if these symptoms appear.

The flu vaccine is very safe. For over 50 years, hundreds of millions of Americans have been protected from the flu by annual vaccination. In the 2018-19 season, over 62% of children and over 45% of adults were vaccinated. For every million vaccinations, only 0.2 experienced a severe reaction. The FDA approves the safety and effectiveness of the flu shot each year and vaccine effectiveness and adverse reactions are monitored by both the FDA and the CDC. 

For the best protection, make sure your family is vaccinated before the season begins. The flu shot will usually arrive at your pediatrician’s office sometime in September and your pediatrician should send you an email or give you a phone call to remind you to schedule an appointment. Some offices will hold Flu Shot Clinics, where patients and non-patients alike can walk in without an appointment to be vaccinated quickly and safely. The body will acquire immunity to the flu about two weeks after being vaccinated, so get your entire vaccinated by mid-October, before the influenza virus begins infecting your community. 

The flu shot is new each year as the flu viruses are constantly evolving. Over time, flu vaccine protection declines ineffectiveness. Last year’s vaccine won’t protect your child this year, so they must get a flu shot every season to be properly immunized.

If your child is younger than nine years old and has never had the flu shot before, your pediatrician will administer two shots, at least four weeks apart. Children older than 9, or those who’ve been vaccinated before, require only one shot. 

When Should You Typically Get Your Flu Shot?

The flu season can last from November until May, so even if you’ve forgotten to get flu shots in October, you should still make a point to get them well into March. The flu viruses, the severity of symptoms, and levels of community infection rise and fall throughout the season, so it’s really never too late to get vaccinated.

Dr. Alzein also recommends that everyone in your family and all caregivers practice good hygiene, especially during flu season. Cough or sneeze into tissue or elbows, wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds frequently, and avoid people who are sick. If someone in your home does get the flu, frequently disinfect common surfaces like doorknobs, countertops, and bathrooms. Dispose of used tissues promptly and wash hands again. 

“The flu shot is safe and effective,” says Dr. Alzein. “Each healthy child that gets the flu shot is helping to protect younger siblings, grandparents, schoolmates who may be immune-compromised, those around them with asthma and so many more family, neighbors, and friends. A flu shot takes just minutes, but provides months of better health for everyone.”

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