Should my child be vaccinated against the flu?
“The flu vaccine can be given to children as young as 6 months. This is necessary and safe,” GMS Clinic pediatrician Daria Zakharova told readers of the Internet portal “Healthy Children” about common sense and myths around vaccinations.
Influenza is the most dangerous disease among all acute respiratory viral infections. The likelihood of complications of the disease with influenza is much higher than with other acute respiratory viral infections, and the complications themselves develop faster. The most common complications are pneumonia and purulent otitis media.
The only effective way to prevent influenza is vaccination.
How does the flu shot work?
The principle of operation of all vaccines is approximately the same. After the vaccine is administered, the body produces protective antibodies in response to the introduction of antigens - harmless particles of the virus. These antibodies protect us from becoming infected with influenza in the future. The body produces a sufficient amount of antibodies to avoid getting sick approximately 14 days after vaccination. The vaccine only protects against influenza; it does not work against other types of acute respiratory viral infections. But this is not required, because all other respiratory viral infections, except influenza, as a rule, are quite mild and in most cases do not have any complications.
Will getting a flu shot help prevent you from getting sick?
The effectiveness of the flu shot is about 90%. 9 out of 10 people who are vaccinated will not get sick at all after exposure to the influenza virus. Even if a person gets sick, the disease itself will be very mild and the likelihood of complications will be minimal. Vaccines have proven to be highly effective in studies. They are created annually in accordance with the recommendations of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO). The composition of the vaccine changes from year to year because the influenza virus tends to mutate. To create a vaccine, three strains of the influenza virus are selected, which, according to WHO, are most likely to spread this year.
How often should you get flu shots?
Vaccination must be done annually, once a year. Children who have not previously been vaccinated are given two vaccinations at intervals of a month.
When should you get a flu shot?
The optimal time for vaccination is September and October. It is necessary to vaccinate at least a month before the expected increase in incidence, which usually occurs at the end of October - beginning of November. There are times when this happens earlier, sometimes later.
Why are many mothers against vaccinations?
Firstly, people underestimate the possible consequences of the flu and do not understand what it is. Secondly, people are afraid of side effects because they think they heard something somewhere, someone told them or they read on the Internet that the vaccine is poorly tolerated. This is an incompetent opinion.
Now there are more and more people who prefer to refuse vaccination, because information appears on the Internet that vaccination is not necessary. It is important to get vaccinated! This is the only effective way to prevent influenza that has proven its effectiveness.
At what age can children start getting flu shots?
From six months.
What side effects may occur in children?
During the first two to three days, the child may feel slightly unwell; a small child may become slightly moody and have a fever. Side effects are quite rare - out of 20 vaccinated children, about 1 may have a mild temperature reaction. As a rule, vaccination is very easy and without any consequences. The risks are minimal. And these risks are completely justified, since the risk of complications with influenza is much worse than a possible reaction to the vaccine in the form of a mild fever.
What should you do if your child has a fever after vaccination?
If the temperature rises above 38.5 °C, it must be brought down with antipyretic drugs for children. But such a temperature reaction is extremely rare. If a child has a fever after a flu vaccination and the high temperature lasts for more than two days, then the vaccination most likely has nothing to do with it. This is a reason to consult a doctor, since a possible cause in this case is an infection. That is, the vaccination was done during the incubation period, and the disease manifested itself immediately after it.
If a child had a reaction after the first vaccination, will it happen again after the second?
It’s completely optional, there is no such pattern.
Do children need to be tested before getting a flu shot?
An examination by a pediatrician or therapist is required. The doctor will decide if tests are needed. As a rule, they are not required.
Which flu vaccine is best for a child?
There are several types of vaccines, they differ in the production method. All of them are approved and approved for use, including in children. There is no difference in the effectiveness of these vaccinations. The difference is in tolerability - it depends on how the child’s body will react to this vaccination. There is no significant difference in which flu vaccine you get, the most important thing is to get vaccinated. In our clinic we use Influvac and Vaxigrip vaccinations - these are highly purified vaccines that are excellently tolerated. Also a low-reactogenic, highly purified vaccine is Grippol Plus.
Where can I get my child a flu shot?
In city children's clinics, in private clinics, in schools.
How to get vaccinated at the clinic?
You need to make an appointment with your pediatrician and tell them you want to get vaccinated. The pediatrician will examine the child and decide whether he can be vaccinated or not.
The child is offered a flu shot at school. This is not dangerous?
Not dangerous. But parents need to clarify whether the school will examine the child by a specialist before vaccination, this is important! And clarify which vaccine the doctor is going to use.
Source: healthy-kids.ru
Vaccination rules
Parents who sign a consent form for a flu shot at school or plan to get vaccinated themselves at a clinic need to remember a few rules. “At the time of vaccination, the child must be healthy. If he has any chronic disease, he must first undergo a blood and urine test. If not, then an examination by a doctor and taking the temperature is enough,” notes Tatyana Butskaya.
The vaccine is given intramuscularly in the shoulder. After receiving the vaccine, you should monitor your child for some time. If the vaccine was given at the clinic, you need to sit in the corridor for about half an hour. “Flu shots rarely cause adverse reactions. Pain at the injection site, redness, a slight increase in temperature, and headache are possible. True, such reactions most often occur in children aged 5-7 years. After vaccination, it is important to understand that the child is not yet protected from the flu. It takes time to develop immunity. On the day of vaccination, avoid visiting crowded places. Full immunity will be formed in 2-3 weeks, and after that the child will be protected from the flu for 6-12 months,” the expert concludes.
There are contraindications, you should consult your doctor
Calendar of mandatory vaccinations for infants up to one year old
According to the National Preventive Vaccination Calendar, already 12 hours after birth, the baby is vaccinated against hepatitis B. Subsequently, the hepatitis B vaccine is administered 2 more times - at the age of 1 and 2 months (immunity lasts until approximately 12 years). Already on the 3-7th day of life, children are vaccinated against tuberculosis with the BCG-M vaccine (re-vaccination against this disease is done at 7 years of age). At the age of 3 months, they begin to receive (the first vaccination) the DPT vaccine against whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus and many other serious diseases. At 4-5 months a second vaccination is given, and at 6 months a third DTP vaccination is given. At 12 months they are vaccinated against rubella, measles and mumps.
The vaccination list in Russia is recognized as one of the most effective and comprehensive. To determine the order of procedures and optimally place them in time, the data is summarized in a table.
| № | Age | Prescribing first vaccinations for infants |
| 1 | First day of life | Hepatitis In viral etiology |
| 2 | 3-7 days | Tuberculosis |
| 3 | 1 month | Second vaccination against hepatitis B |
| 4 | 2 months | 1. Second revaccination against hepatitis B, if the child is at risk |
| 5 | 3 months |
|
| 6 | 4 to 5 months | Revaccinations from:
|
| 7 | 6 months | Repeated revaccination from:
|
| 8 | 12 months | Measles, rubella, mumps; Third vaccination against hepatitis B, if there is a risk of getting sick. |
It is not necessary to adhere to time limits. For example, vaccinations for infants at 2 months, noted in the schedule, can be carried out a month later with adjustments to the dates of subsequent procedures. It all depends on the condition of the child’s body.
How to write a refusal to get vaccinated?
Only some professions require mandatory flu vaccination; all other people, according to the 2012 law, have the right to make this decision independently (both for themselves and for their minor children).
Preschool or school institutions do not have the right to exclude children who have not been vaccinated against influenza from participating in the educational process. The only exception is during an epidemic.
Parents can write a refusal to vaccinate their own child if they have good reasons for doing so. For example, they will consider that a vaccine injection can cause more harm to the child than good. Either the vaccine requires a medical exemption or cannot be given due to religious or other beliefs.
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A refusal to vaccinate is written in free form to the head of the medical institution where such a procedure is to be carried out. It contains the full details of the child and his legal representative, the name of the vaccination that the decision was made to refuse. There are special forms that can confirm people’s refusal or consent to vaccination.
How is Ultrix Quadri better than a simple Ultrix?
It contains antigens from a larger number of strains - four versus three in regular Ultrix. As you know, the flu mutates very quickly, and every year the World Health Organization makes a forecast about which strains and lines will be the most common and contagious in the coming autumn-winter period. Based on this forecast, manufacturers add antigens from these very dangerous varieties.
Ultrix contains 2 antigens of type A and one of type B. Ultrix Quadri contains another antigen of type B, which allows the body to develop antibodies against its two most common lines - Yamagata and Victoria. Vaccination of adolescents and adults who go to work, shops and other public places allows you to avoid infection of those members of your family who cannot be vaccinated - pregnant women in the first trimester, elderly people with chronic health complications.
How to write consent for vaccination?
Prevention of influenza in children in kindergarten includes a wide variety of activities:
- regular ventilation;
- hardening of children;
- wet cleaning of the premises;
- walks in the open air;
- placing pieces of garlic and onions throughout the kindergarten rooms;
- not allowing sick children to visit the institution.
In order for a parent to express his own opinion and agree to vaccination, he must sign a special consent form. This paper has an official structure, it is issued by the medical institution where the immunization will be carried out.
The vaccination permit contains the name of the drug that will be administered to the child, his personal data and the data of his legal representatives.
As a rule, vaccination of children in preschool institutions is carried out in the fall; before this procedure, the child must be examined by a pediatrician, confirming that there are no contraindications to vaccination.
