Children are more vulnerable to flu and other infections. For this reason, flu shots are given to children every year. In a new study conducted by the researchers of CDC, it was found that such flu shots can be lifesaving for kids as they protect them from serious complications even when the vaccines do not match with the flu virus.
Flu Vaccines Can Be Lifesaving For Kids, Says CDC
Whenever a virus is found to be harmful to humans, experts prepare the vaccine to counter the virus in case it invades the body in the future. However, the virus constantly mutates and takes new forms which can act completely different from the original strain.
In this case, the vaccines also have to adapt to the changing nature of the virus. But the pace at which the virus mutates is unexpected, and it can even happen in a short time. On the other hand, producing vaccines for the new strain may take some time.
As per the CDC reports, the study was conducted based on the flu season of 2019-20. This year saw a high number of flu deaths in children across the US, and the number was close to 200, it was found that two viruses were the leading cause of infections in that period.
When the hospitalization data was analyzed with vaccination data, it was found that flu shots prevented severe outcomes in more than 78% of cases. In the same way, the protection offered by flu shots was close to 50% even when the virus had mutated into a new strain. It became clear that severe complications were avoided in more than 75% of cases, and such children did not need critical care when they got infected.
Even though vaccines could not completely prevent the infection among children, it was very effective in reducing the severe complications during the infection. The CDC authorities have said that this study highlights the importance of taking annual flu shots for children.
As the vaccines for Covid infection are readily available for children above the age of 5, parents should make it a point to provide the annual flu shots along with Covid vaccines for their children. The new variant Omicron is rapidly surging across the country, and it is important to protect children from severe illnesses during this pandemic.
The vaccination rate for Covid infection is less among children in the US, and more than 40% of the eligible children are yet to get their vaccine shots for Covid 19. Protecting children from the pandemic is critical as they are more vulnerable due to increased social contact at schools and colleges.
Children above six months are eligible for the annual vaccines when it comes to flu shots. However, more than 30% of the children in this category have not taken the annual flu shots this year. The CDC has given a serious warning as children can get severely affected if vaccines do not protect them during the pandemic.
Even seasonal flu can impact the health condition of children in a big way. While most children who get flu recover within a few days, some children may need to be hospitalized. Every year thousands of children get admitted to hospitals due to seasonal flu.
Some children die every year due to such a common illness. To avoid health complications during seasonal flu, it is important to take annual flu shots as recommended by the CDC.
The agency has also indicated that children under the age of 5 are more susceptible to catching infections than others. As they have a weak immune system, the seasonal flu can affect them easily. For this reason, parents should provide flu shots for young children and keep them safe from infections.