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Influenza vaccination for children: important features
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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The largest groups of risk for the incidence of influenza, according to medical statistics, are children who go to kindergarten and to school. In places of mass accumulation of children, the infection spreads much faster than among domestic babies. Therefore, flu vaccination is needed for children as air. But how and when to do it and how does it work?
Why do I need a flu vaccine?
The flu virus is very dangerous for the baby's immature organism. It affects primarily the nervous, cardiac and respiratory system of the child, and also undermines its immunity. Therefore, you need to protect the baby from these harmful effects of influenza viruses by vaccinating him. How does the vaccine work and how does it protect the child's body from a dangerous flu?
After the child was vaccinated against the flu, antibodies that begin to form in the body, which act against influenza viruses, begin to form in the body. But only against those viruses that are in the vaccine.
There is one peculiarity that parents need to know: if a child is vaccinated against influenza for the first time and if he is not yet 9, the vaccine is needed not one but two. The second is done a month after the first, and then the baby will certainly be protected from influenza strains. In other cases, repeated vaccination is not required for the child.
How effective is the flu vaccine for children?
Observations by doctors show that the effectiveness of vaccination against influenza made to children is up to 90% if all conditions are met. That is, if the vaccine is of high quality, is made on time, if there are no contraindications and the age of the child is taken into account - from 6 months. Vaccination against influenza allows the child not to get sick even in the flu season, so it's definitely worth doing.
The vaccine against influenza is not effective only if it is made in the presence of contraindications. These are the contraindications:
- Age of child up to six months
- Diseases in the child in the acute stage
- If the child is already sick with flu or colds
- If the child has a high fever
- If a child has experienced an exacerbation of a chronic illness or has had a cold less than two weeks ago
- The baby's allergy to egg white hen, which is part of most vaccines
If the child has complications after the vaccination, this should be immediately notified to the doctor.
Can I do another vaccination, other than a flu shot?
Yes. This is allowed even if the child is prone to flu-related illnesses. For example, if the child is a regular customer of the ENT doctor, is prone to viral infections, then two vaccinations can be given at once - against influenza and against pneumococci. And then the child will not get sick even if a vaccinated adult has become ill with the flu in the family.
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How often do children get influenza vaccinations?
If the child has not yet turned 9 years old and has not yet received vaccinations, they are done two - with a break in a month. If a child is vaccinated against influenza from the age of six months, the interval is one year. During this year, the composition of the vaccine against influenza necessarily changes, because the formula changes and the influenza virus itself.
Usually vaccinations for a child from influenza start to do from October to November, the same way. As well as adults. Previously, they do not make sense, because before the height of the flu, antibodies in the child's body must gain strength, and immunity strengthen, and not vice versa. If the vaccine is vaccinated against the baby too early, the immunity will have time to work and weaken its strength, and the flu will catch the child by surprise.
Can parents independently choose the type of flu vaccine?
Yes, they can, if there is such a choice. For example, if several kinds of vaccines are presented in the kindergarten, parents can choose to pay or be free. They can ask the doctor's advice if they do not know which vaccine should be chosen for the baby. As a rule, a nurse in the garden can recommend a spilite vaccine to the child, which, in addition to the antigens of the influenza viruses, also has a matrix antigen that helps the child make immunity much stronger and withstand infections. Representatives of these vaccines - Vaksigripp, Bigriak, Flyuarix.
There are also vaccines of the third generation, which contain only one antigen - superficial. Representatives of these drugs - Influvak, Agrippal, Grippol.
Parents should not worry - both types of vaccines are very effective.
A vaccination against the flu for a child is a very important matter. And most importantly, parents do not ignore this important annual procedure.
Can parents refuse to vaccinate a child?
Yes they can. This is rare, and only if it is reliably known that the child has contraindications to vaccination.
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