Pros and cons of flu shots for children and how to avoid complications after vaccination?

Every year in the autumn, parents are offered to vaccinate children and themselves against the flu. At the same time, many people doubt whether such vaccination is necessary, because it is not included in the list of mandatory and causes very controversial opinions.

• Vaccination will help protect against a dangerous disease, which is especially valuable during epidemics. The effectiveness of modern anti-influenza vaccines is estimated at 70-90%.
• This is doubly important for a child, since in young children the flu is often accompanied by serious complications and hospitalization.
• Vaccination is cheaper than treating the flu. In addition, the mother does not have to take the hospital, which also affects the family budget.
• Having instilled a large number of people, one can achieve the appearance of collective immunity.
• Modern vaccines are distinguished by an improved composition - the dosage of antigens is reduced, while maintaining efficiency, and there are no preservatives containing mercury.
• Vaccines are released in syringe doses, which prevents errors during injection.
• Thanks to the vaccination, the number of complications of the flu is reduced by 30%, and deaths by 50%.
• Influenza vaccination is 50-60% effective against other acute respiratory infections.
• Since influenza vaccines are distinguished by a small number of adverse reactions, they can be administered simultaneously with other vaccines.

Influenza in children often occurs in severe form - the temperature rises to 39-40 degrees, febrile seizures are possible, children complain of headaches, their condition is greatly worsened.

In addition, if the baby has chronic diseases, the influenza virus causes their aggravation. It especially harms the nervous and cardiovascular systems of children.

There is much debate about the feasibility of vaccination against influenza. The arguments of opponents of such vaccinations are as follows:

1. The vaccine “works” for only a few months. This is true, because the drug is created on the basis of circulating viruses, and by the end of winter new strains may appear, so the risk of infection remains.
2. Anti-influenza vaccines are rare, but they still give a vaccination reaction in the form of a brief temperature increase, as well as edema at the injection site.

Flu vaccine is recommended:

• Often ill children.
• Babies who have chronic diseases, as well as malformations of the respiratory system.
• Children with heart and CNS diseases, including congenital malformations.
• Children who have blood diseases, kidney disease, endocrine diseases.
• Babies attending child care.
• Children with immunodeficiencies, including those caused by drugs.

Flu vaccine should not be given for:

• Allergies to chicken eggs (based on them are vaccines against this infection);
• Exacerbations of chronic or allergic diseases (vaccination is recommended only 2 weeks after recovery);
• SARS and elevated body temperature;
• Serious reactions to anti-influenza vaccination in the past.

In most cases, flu vaccines do not cause any complications that are dangerous to a child. However, in order for the vaccine to be well tolerated, effective, and free of adverse reactions, it is important to vaccinate the child before the epidemic begins, then his immunity will not be unduly stressed. Also recommend that the day before the manipulation, the day of vaccination and the next day to take an antihistamine.

The famous pediatrician claims that flu vaccines really work, so it’s worth getting vaccinated. Moreover, in young children, such vaccination has its own characteristics. If the baby did not get sick before the flu and did not vaccinate against this disease, he needs a double administration of the vaccine with an interval of about a month.

Those parents who doubt whether it is worthwhile to vaccinate a child with such a volatile virus, Komarovsky recalls that there are many virological laboratories around the world that determine the types of viruses that circulate among people. Every year, at the end of spring, they predict what influenza viruses people will face in the fall, after which they begin to produce the vaccine. By September, all well-known vaccine manufacturers provide drugs that include several variants of the virus that people most likely will encounter this year.

The need for vaccination against influenza should consult a pediatrician, observing the baby. He will take into account the peculiarities of the child’s body and draw conclusions as to how the baby will be immunized. Also, those who want to be confident in the health of the crumbs and prevent possible complications should pass a blood and urine test. In some cases, it makes sense to consult an immunologist.

Vaccination is usually carried out in September or October, so that by the beginning of a possible epidemic, children already have immune protection. Later vaccination may coincide with the incubation period of the disease and not affect the possibility of infection. Since the composition of vaccines changes every year due to virus mutation, it is recommended to vaccinate children and adults against this infection every year.

Although flu vaccine is poorly reactive, like any other vaccine, it affects the immune system, so there is always a risk of negative reactions.If you have noticed in a baby who has recently received an anti-influenza vaccination, any adverse symptoms, such as a significant fever or an extensive local reaction to an injection, you should consult a doctor. He will establish the causes of the deterioration and propose treatment.