Flu vaccines protect you
Have you had a flu shot? Most kids have and there's good reason. Like all vaccines, this one can protect you from a pretty awful illness — the flu.
No one loves shots, but for now, a flu shot is the only option. The nasal spray isn't recommended by doctors anymore, because it didn't stop flu cases in kids.
In most people, the flu causes a fever, body aches, and other cold-like symptoms. A person who has the flu will sleep a lot and feel sick, but will get better in a week.
The problem with the flu, also called influenza, is that it makes some people really sick. They are less able to get well on their own so they may need to go to the hospital. That's why a flu shot is recommended for just about everyone.
Who should get a flu vaccine?
All people older than 6 months should get the flu vaccine.
Certain people are at higher risk of complications from the flu, so it's especially important that these people (and people who live with them) get vaccinated. They include:
- pregnant women
- kids younger than age 5
- people age 65 and older
- people of any age who have long-term health conditions
Until recently, doctors recommended that kids with an egg allergy not get the flu vaccine because it is grown inside eggs. But now health experts say that because there's just a tiny bit of egg allergen in the vaccine, the flu shot is safe even for people with a severe egg allergy.
Still, if you have an egg allergy or have had an allergic reaction to a flu vaccine in the past, your parent should talk with the doctor before you get a flu shot. And if you have a severe egg allergy, you might need to get your shot in an allergist's office.
One dose or two?
Kids older than 9 need only one dose.
Are you younger than 9? You need one dose of the flu vaccine if:
- you have received the flu vaccine at least two times in your lifetime
A kid younger than 9 needs two doses if:
- this is your first time ever getting the flu vaccine
- you had the flu vaccine before but only received one dose
Kids who need two doses will get the first one and then come back at least a month later for the second one.
Are you getting the vaccine as a shot? If you're scared, talk with your mom or dad about it.
Here are three tricks that make shots easier to handle:
- Hold a parent's hand.
- Make your arm go loose like spaghetti before the shot goes in.
- Cough as you're getting the shot. (Some kids say they don't feel the pinch when they do this.)
When do you get a flu vaccine?
If you're getting a flu vaccine, it's best to get it in the fall, before "fluseason." Flu season starts in October and usually ends in May. December, January, and February are typically the worst months for flu, when the most people have it and you're most likely to get it.
What's in a flu vaccine?
Influenza is a virus. The flu vaccine helps your body get ready to defend itself against that virus in case it tries to invade your body.
The flu vaccine contains a small amount of the flu viruses. But the flu vaccine won't give you the flu. The vaccine lets your body get ready to fight off the real flu during flu season.
New Year, new vaccine
To be protected against the flu, you have to get the vaccine every year. Unlike some other illnesses, like chickenpox, the flu virus keeps changing. The vaccine needs to change to keep up with the types of flu viruses that are expected to cause problems that year.
Each year, doctors and scientists who study the flu try to predict which viruses will make people sick during the next flu season. Then they make the vaccine out of a mixture of the most likely viruses.
After the vaccine
The flu vaccine is safe and most people have no problems with it. If you got the shot, the spot where you got it might feel sore. After the flu shot, some people might feel achy or have a mild fever, but that's nothing like the flu, which can make you sick for 1 or 2 weeks.
Once you get your flu shot, you can take another important step toward preventing the flu and other winter illnesses: Wash your hands regularly. When you do, you wash away those nasty germs that end up making you sick!