Mayo Clinic Minute: What a Mayo Clinic pediatrician says about the flu vaccine and kids
Young kids and older adults are significantly prone to extreme flu-related sickness. That’s why Dr. Angela Mattke, a pediatrician with Mayo Clinic’s Children’s Center, says it is vital that kids and adults get their seasonal flu vaccine. She says it’s best to get vaccinated effectively earlier than the holidays as a result of it takes two weeks for the flu vaccine to grow to be totally efficient.
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Health specialists say it’s best to get your flu shot as quickly because it’s obtainable in your space. This will give your body time to create defenses towards the flu.
“It takes two weeks to get protection against influenza. So, if you’re exposed to influenza in that meantime, you may get an infection,” says Dr. Mattke.
And you additionally might unfold a virus. Dr. Mattke says the vaccine would not fully stop sickness.
“What it does is offer you protection against really serious complications: needing to go to the emergency department, needing to be admitted, going to the ICU or, in some serious situations, death,” she says.
Two flu photographs for some kids
Some kids 6 months to age 8 might have two flu photographs. It’s vital to work together with your healthcare crew.
“But if it’s your infant’s first year of being eligible for the influenza vaccine, I would anticipate that they get two vaccines separated by four weeks,” Dr. Mattke says.
If your little one is fearful of vaccinations, there may be an alternative choice to the shot for some kids. The flu mist is accredited for folks ages 2 to 49.
The flu vaccine, she says, can save lives.
“In children specifically, the influenza vaccine has been shown to reduce the risk of death by over 75%. And so, for my children, I want to do everything I can to try and give them as much protection as possible against influenza,” Dr. Mattke says.
Hand hygiene
In addition to getting vaccinated, it is vital to maintain your fingers clear and keep away from contact with sick folks to remain healthy and stop the unfold of diseases. Help kids be taught the when and how of hand-washing. Encourage them to scrub their fingers with heat water and cleaning soap for at the very least 20 seconds earlier than meals, after visiting the restroom, and following sneezing or coughing.
