We like to have fun sometimes when we talk about the flu, but we never want to lose sight of the fact that the flu virus can have serious consequences. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control found that from October 2004 to September 2012, there were 830 reports of children dying for flu-associated reasons. Of those children with a known medical history, “43% had no high-risk medical conditions.”
To put it bluntly, as USA Today said when covering the report: “Even healthy kids can die from flu complications.”
The key to preventing deaths like these is vaccination. A CDC summary of the report notes that “most of the children reported to have died during the study period had not received a seasonal flu vaccination.” The CDC says that “all children 6 months of age and older should receive a flu vaccination each year.” Unfortunately, CDC data shows just 56.6% of children from 6 months through 17 years were vaccinated in the last season.
It’s impossible to overstate the importance of this: if you have children ages six months or older, they need to be vaccinated for the flu every year even if they are otherwise happy and healthy. The flu shot can help keep them that way. Bear in mind that according to the CDC’s website, some children from 6 months through 8 years need two doses of the vaccine.
Learn more about prevention, symptoms, and treatment on our flu page. Talk to a medical professional at FastMed Urgent Care about your family’s health. And get yourself and your family vaccinated at FastMed today for just $20 each.
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