Flu (or influenza) is caused by viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. The flu usually spreads from person to person when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
Some children are at high risk of having complications from the flu. Flu could make them very sick or even kill them. The following people need to be vaccinated each year to prevent the flu:
Children 6 - 23 months of age
Children 2 years to 18 years of age with chronic health problems like
asthma or other problems of the lungs
immune suppression
chronic kidney disease
heart disease
HIV/AIDS
diabetes
sickle cell anemia
Children 6 months to 18 years of age who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy
Close contacts of children 0-23 months and children with chronic health problems
Doctors recommend household contacts and outofhome caregivers of high risk children get vaccinated too. Children under 6 months old can also get very sick from the flu. But they are too young to get a flu vaccine. The best way to protect them is to make sure that their household members and their caregivers are vaccinated.
Each year, on average, 178 children die from complications of the flu.
Unlike the common cold, the flu causes severe illness and can be life threatening.
Each year about 1 in every 1,000 children younger than 5 years old will be hospitalized because of the flu.
The flu vaccine is the best way to prevent the flu. Anyone 6 months of age or older can get the flu vaccine.
The Best Time to get Vaccinated is October or November
Department of Health and Human Resources Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
