10 things parents should know about flu shots

Follow me on Twitter @drClaire We started giving flu shots at our practice last week, and it made me not just happy, but relieved. I know how bad influenza can be and I always feel better when we can start preventing it. Every year, influenza sickens millions, hospitalizes hundreds of thousands, and kills tens of thousands. This is not your average common cold. While it is especially dangerous for anyone who already has a health problem (such as a weakened immune system, or heart or lung problems), it can be dangerous for healthy people, too. Even if you don’t get that sick from the flu, aside from missing school or work there is the very real problem that influenza is very contagious — and you can be contagious before you realize that you have the flu. That means you can spread it to others, some of whom may get very sick. Getting immunized helps keep everyone safe: it’s not just about you, it’s about everyone around you. This is especially true for children, who aren’t always great about washing their hands and tend to touch lots of things and people around them. Here are a few things all parents should know about the flu vaccine: 1.  It’s the best way to prevent the flu. Hand washing is crucial, and staying away from sick people helps, but we can’t wash our hands every second, and we can’t always know who is sick. It’s true that the vaccine isn’t 100% effective (the effectiveness varies by year) but it’s your best bet if you don’t want to get sick....
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Children's Health Cold and Flu Infectious diseases Parenting Prevention Vaccines Source Type: blogs