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Influenza vaccination for children: important features
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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The largest risk groups for flu, according to medical statistics, are children who go to kindergarten and school. In places where children gather in large numbers, the infection spreads much faster than among children at home. Therefore, children need a flu shot like air. But how and when to do it and how does it work?
Why does a child need a flu shot?
The flu virus is very dangerous for a child's fragile body. It primarily affects the child's nervous, cardiac and respiratory systems, and also undermines his immunity. Therefore, it is necessary to protect the baby from these harmful effects of flu viruses by vaccinating him. How does the vaccination work and how does it protect the child's body from dangerous flu?
After a child has been vaccinated against the flu, antibodies begin to form in his body that act against flu viruses. But only against those viruses that are in the vaccine.
There is one feature that parents need to know: if a child is being vaccinated against the flu for the first time and if he or she is under 9 years old, not one but two vaccinations are needed. The second one is given a month after the first one, and then the child will definitely be protected from flu strains. In other cases, the child does not need a second vaccination.
How effective is the flu vaccine for children?
Observations of doctors show that the effectiveness of the flu shot given to children is up to 90% if all conditions are met. That is, if the vaccine is of high quality, given on time, if there are no contraindications and the child's age is taken into account - from 6 months. The flu shot allows the child not to get sick even during the flu season, so it is definitely worth doing.
The flu shot is only ineffective if it is given in the presence of contraindications. These contraindications are:
- Age of the child up to six months
- The child's illness is in the acute stage
- If the child is already sick with the flu or a cold
- If a child has a high temperature
- If the child has experienced an exacerbation of a chronic disease or had a cold less than two weeks ago
- The child is allergic to chicken egg white, which is found in most vaccines
If a child develops complications after vaccination, the doctor must be notified immediately.
Is it possible to get another vaccination besides the flu shot?
Yes. This is allowed even if the child is prone to flu-related illnesses. For example, if the child is a regular client of an ENT doctor and is prone to viral infections, then two vaccinations can be administered at once – against flu and against pneumococci. And then the child will not get sick even if an unvaccinated adult in the family gets sick with the flu.
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How often do children get flu shots?
If the child is under 9 years old and has never been vaccinated, two vaccinations are given, with a month's interval. If the child has been receiving flu vaccinations since the age of six months, the interval is one year. During this year, the composition of the flu vaccine necessarily changes, since the formula of the flu virus itself also changes.
Usually, children are vaccinated against the flu starting in October-November, just like adults. There is no point in doing them earlier, since before the peak of the flu, the antibodies in the child's body should gain strength, and the immune system should strengthen, and not vice versa. If you vaccinate a child against the flu too early, the immune system will have time to work and weaken, and the flu will catch the child by surprise.
Can parents choose the type of flu vaccine they want?
Yes, they can, if there is such a choice. For example, if a kindergarten offers several types of vaccines, parents can choose a paid or free one. They can ask a doctor for recommendations if they do not know which vaccine is best for their child. As a rule, a nurse in the kindergarten can recommend a child a spilit vaccine, which, in addition to influenza virus antigens, also contains a matrix antigen, which helps the child make the immune system much stronger and resist infections. Representatives of these vaccines are Vaxigrip, Bigrivak, Fluarix.
There are also third-generation vaccines that contain only one antigen – surface. Representatives of these drugs are Influvac, Agrippal, Grippol.
Parents need not worry - both types of vaccines are very effective.
Vaccination against flu for a child is a very responsible matter. And the main thing is that parents do not ignore this important annual procedure.
Can parents refuse to vaccinate their child?
Yes, they can. This happens rarely, and only if it is reliably known that the child has contraindications to vaccination.
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