What should parents know?
It is a contagious respiratory disease caused by the influenza virus, a respiratory virus that spreads easily from person to person through the air, respiratory droplets expelled when coughing or sneezing, through surfaces, objects or Hand (and then put your hand on your hand) to spread. or covering your nose or mouth with your fingers, or rubbing your eyes), so the virus spreads quickly.
Children are the group with the largest number of influenza cases each fall and winter. Symptoms of the flu are: sudden onset of fever, runny nose, cough (usually dry), headache, sore throat, body aches (muscles and joints), and tiredness.
Symptoms appear between the first and fourth days after infection and usually last about a week.
Treatment is aimed at relieving symptoms: rest, drink plenty of fluids, and take fever-reducing or analgesic medications if you have a fever or feel unwell.
In most cases, symptoms resolve within a week without requiring medical attention, but it may worsen symptoms of other chronic conditions.
Children are the primary source of transmission of the disease, and the flu vaccine is the most effective way to prevent it.
When is the season?
Flu season usually begins in the fall and ends in the spring. Ideally, children should receive an annual flu shot by the end of October. When there is an outbreak or epidemic, usually during the winter, the disease tends to be more common in preschool or school-age children.
How many types of viruses are there?
As the World Health Organization explains, there are four types of seasonal influenza viruses: A, B, C, and D. Influenza A and B viruses spread and cause seasonal epidemics of disease, which is why they are included in vaccines so that the body can protect itself against them in a timely manner.
What is the purpose of vaccinating children?
The goals are: to reduce the incidence of children aged 6 to 59 months, avoid bronchitis and pneumonia, reduce severe cases and hospitalizations in children, and indirectly protect vulnerable groups.
Which children are the vaccines targeted for?
– All children 6 months to 5 years old.
– For high-risk groups: children with underlying medical conditions (asthma, diabetes, cardiovascular disease…) that increase the risk of complications.
– Children living with high-risk patients.
– and those who live with children under 6 months old.
What vaccines are available?
– Inactivated or tetravalent, injectable. Spain has a quadrivalent vaccine that contains four strains (2 A strains + 2 B strains).
-Attenuated, intranasal route: Quadrivalent, Fluenz Tetra, for use in children 2 years of age and older (2-17 years).
How much dose do you need?
– 6 months to 8 years: 2 doses, ≥4 weeks apart, or 1 dose if they have received at least 2 doses in previous seasons.
-Ages 9 and older: One dose per season.
How are they managed?
– Injectable vaccines must be administered in the full dose as formulated, i.e. 0.5 ml for all ages above 6 months. The injection is given through a prick in the thigh or arm, depending on age.
– Intranasal attenuated vaccines are simple and well tolerated by children. For administration directly into the nostrils: 0.1 ml in each nostril.
The number of doses is the same as injecting the inactivated vaccine.
Why is it necessary to get vaccinated every year?
Influenza viruses have a strong ability to mutate, and the types of influenza viruses circulating change every year. As a result, our defense systems are unable to recognize them and protect ourselves, which can trigger the disease again each new winter.
Therefore, different vaccines must be produced each year to adapt to the changes the virus undergoes and the strains that are circulating.
The World Health Organization is the agency responsible for deciding each year which different strains of the virus should be included in vaccines, according to epidemiological surveillance centers around the world.
Does it have any side effects?
The flu vaccine has been proven to be very safe. The most common adverse reactions are local reactions, which are redness and/or pain at the injection area. Intranasal vaccines may cause a mild itchiness in the nose.
Can people with egg allergies get the vaccine?
Yes. There is sufficient evidence to suggest that people with a history of egg-contact allergy can receive the influenza vaccine without taking special precautions. If you have a severe allergic reaction, you should go to the hospital to get vaccinated.
Can other vaccines be given at the same time?
Generally, the flu shot can be given with any other vaccine, including allergy shots.
Is it better not to get vaccinated and get the flu?
Won’t. If a child gets the flu vaccine and subsequently gets the flu, the illness is more likely to be benign and, most importantly, complications can be avoided. More children under 5 are hospitalized with flu complications than other age groups
Preschool and school-age children are the primary spreaders of influenza to other parts of the community. This is due to several facts, but most importantly because the viral load in children’s secretions is much higher and lasts longer than that of adults, and they take less care when controlling their coughs and secretions.
Multiple studies have shown that vaccination of healthy children can interrupt the chain of transmission and indirectly protect other members of the community, including vulnerable groups such as the elderly, immunocompromised people and children under 6 months of age.
Additionally, because children are the primary transmitters of influenza infection, vaccination can help reduce transmission to vulnerable populations in their environment.