One flu over the baby's nest

If you are pregnant or have children less than 6 months of age at home, consider getting your flu shot soon! You can get it at your doctor's office or go to a flu clinic (a pharmacy near you may offer it). I received mine this week from my local Rite Aid Pharmacy and paid $30. Another place to try is your employee health office; it may be offered for free or charge a nominal fee of $10 for administrative costs.

It’s Worth a Shot! Why is it important to get the flu shot even if you do not work in a health care facility or school? Well, you can acquire the infection and be so sick that you would have to miss work or school for a week. It’s even worse if you have small children at home and no help. Or you may have to miss work if your child has the flu. You can also spread it to the rest of your family. Children, especially infants, are very vulnerable to infections and their complications. In fact, many have died from the flu. For the 2007-2008 flu season, the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) reported that pediatric deaths included seven children aged less than 6 months, 16 aged 6-23 months, 18 aged 2-4 years, and 42 aged 5-17 years.  Unfortunately, 92% (58/63 cases) whose vaccination status was known did not receive the flu vaccine  This is likely to be underreported. Deaths in adults do not have to be reported.

Who Should Get the Vaccine? Anyone who wants to lower his/her chances of getting and/or spreading the flu can get the flu vaccine. However, the CDC and ACIP recommend that certain people should get the vaccine every year because they are at higher risk of having serious complications from the flu infection or they live with or take care of people who are at high risk for complications. These are also the people who receive priority to get the vaccine if there should be a shortage of the vaccine. The 2008-2009 recommendations are:

• Children aged 6 months up to their 19th birthday (vaccination for 5-18 years of age is a new recommendation this season)
• Pregnant women
• People 50 years of age and older
• People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions: pulmonary (including asthma), cardiovascular (except hypertension), renal, hepatic, hematological or metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus)
• People who have any condition (e.g., cognitive dysfunction, spinal cord injuries, seizure disorders, or other neuromuscular disorders) that can compromise respiratory function or the handling of respiratory secretions or that can increase the risk for aspiration;
• People who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy who therefore might be at risk for experiencing Reye syndrome after influenza virus infection
• People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
• People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:

Health care workers

Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu

Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)

The bottom line is, get you and your child(ren) vaccinated. The time is now. Make the appointments today. Flu season is usually between December and March; the peak of the past season was in February. So if your baby turns 6 months-old between now and April, let the doctor give the shot. If your older children are under 19 years-old, bring them in for their annual flu shot. Don’t forget about yourself!

Don't like shots? You can ask for the intranasal flu vaccine (FluMist), but not every clinic carries it. The intranasal option is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for people 2 through 49 years-old. Beware, it could be more uncomfortable than a needle stick. Also, if your child has asthma and is 5 years-old and younger, the shot should be given to avoid the risk of an asthma attack. There are other conditions when this option may not be appropriate as compared to the shot.

But I got the flu from the flu shot! You may experience some flu-like symptoms after the shot, if not a sore arm, but you did not get the flu from the shot. It may be just pure coincidence, or you may have a cold. Don't use that as an excuse. Protect yourself and your kids. And if you are a health-care worker, protect your patients, too!

VERY IMPORTANT: If your child is under 9 years-old and is receiving the flu vaccine for the first time, he/she will get TWO shots this year. The two shots should be at the same dose, at least one month apart to boost the immune response. Thereafter, your child will only receive 1 dose per year to prevent the flu illness. It is not unheard of that some less experienced practitioners have divided the dose in half and gave one half the dose the first month and the other half the next month. Don’t panic if your child only gets one dose this year because they can get the two doses next year.

For more information about the flu and the flu vaccines, visit www.cdc.gov.