SEPTEMBER 6, 2022 – PARENTS ATTENTION: The nation’s leading Pediatric Society urges you to make sure your children get flu vaccine This fall to prevent and control the spread of the disease.
The American Academy of Pediatrics this week called on parents and caregivers to strive flu vaccines for their children as soon as they become available in the fall. The group encourages parents to up all other vaccinations for their children, too.
Kristina Bryant, a pediatrician, said in a statement about Academy Recommendations. We should not underestimate the flu, especially when other respiratory viruses such as COVID-19 are spreading within our communities. Besides making your child miserable and wreaking havoc on your family routine, the flu can also be dangerous and even deadly for children.”
Only 55% of children 6 months to 17 years old had been vaccinated against the flu as of early April — down 2% from the previous April — and coverage levels were 8.1% lower for black children than for non-Hispanic white children, according to the CDC. diseases. In the 2019-2020 flu season, 188 children And he died in the United States from infection, which equates to the high rate of deaths identified in the 2017-2018 season, the agency said.
The American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines recommend that children ages 6 months and older get the flu vaccine every year. Depending on the child’s age and health, the child may receive an injection containing an inactive version of the influenza virus, or a nasal spray containing a weakened form of the virus. (The academy has more information about Various vaccines are here.)
Babies 6 to 8 months old who are receiving flu vaccines for the first time should receive two doses at least 4 weeks apart. A pregnant woman can get a flu shot at any time during pregnancy. Flu vaccines are safe for developing fetuses, according to the academy.
The group stressed the importance of influenza vaccinations for high-risk and medically vulnerable children and acknowledged the need to end barriers to vaccinations for all people, regardless of income or insurance coverage. In 2020, an estimated 16.1% of children in the United States were living in poverty, up from 14.4% in 2019, according to the United States Census Bureau.
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