Advice by Pediatric Conditions: Flu Vaccine

Every year infections caused by influenza (flu) viruses leave hundreds of thousands of children and adults ill with fever, fatigue, muscle aches and headaches. These infections are usually not life-threatening.

However, in the elderly and in children and adults that have some underlying serious illness (like heart disease, diabetes, kidney failure, liver failure, severe asthma etc.), flu infections can result in a worsening of the underlying illness and cause serious problems. For these high-risk people yearly flu vaccine is recommended. The flu vaccine is also recommended for household contacts of these high-risk people.

For everyone else the risk of serious complications from a flu infection is very small. However, with hundreds of thousands of children getting the flu each winter it is typical for scores of healthy children (who have no high risk factors) to die each year from influenza complications. These deaths are usually preventable if the flu vaccine is given.

Giving a child a flu vaccine can reduce the risk of being hospitalized, missing school, and parents missing work due to influenza illness.

Therefore, it is recommended that all children older than 6 months of age receive the flu shot every year.

There is no strong evidence that getting the flu vaccine can give flu symptoms. There is no live flu virus in the influenza vaccine.

Yes, children who get the flu vaccine can still get the influenza illness. However, getting the vaccine can reduce the intensity of symptoms and shorten the length of illness.

In the not distant future, it will probably be recommended that everyone in the U.S. receive an annual flu vaccination.