Is Your Child Vaccinated Against the Flu?
Children younger than 5 years old – especially those younger than 2 – are at higher risk of developing serious flu-related complications. Children of any age with certain chronic health conditions are also at higher risk; during the 2021-2022 flu season, 65 percent of children 0 to 17 years old hospitalized with flu had at least one underlying health condition, such as asthma, neurologic disease, obesity or immune suppression.
While not at higher risk, children 5 years and older can spread flu to their higher risk family members, like infants younger than 6 months old and adults who are 65 years and older or people of any age who have certain chronic health conditions. It’s important to vaccinate everyone 6 months and older in your family against flu each year to help protect those most at risk. A flu vaccine offers the best defense against flu and its potentially serious complications and also can reduce the spread of flu to others.
In children, annual flu vaccination has been shown to:
- Reduce flu illnesses, doctor’s visits for flu, and missed school days
- Reduce the risk of flu-related hospitalization and death.
If your child is not yet vaccinated against the flu, call your child’s pediatrician to schedule an appointment. Read more about the flu and vaccines here.
Source: Centers for Disease Control