Health Leader, Babies & Flu

STORY BY

Anissa Anderson Orr

Part I of II on Flu 2004

Parents: If you haven’t already,
schedule a flu shot for your infant or toddler, say federal health officials.

Because the vaccine is in such short supply this year, children aged 6 to 23 months, and other high-risk individuals get top priority for receiving flu shots. The United States will receive only about half of its ordered doses of the flu vaccine this year. Possible vaccine contamination forced British drug company Chiron to withdraw its flu vaccine from the market last week, before most people were vaccinated.

While there is a shortage of the flu vaccine, parents shouldn’t panic. Much of the vaccine supply for children was purchased from the drug company Aventis. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is also asking people who are not in one of the priority groups to forgo the vaccination, which hopefully will make more of the vaccine available for high-risk groups.

Infants, Toddlers More at Risk

Recent studies show that children younger than 2 years old who get the flu are more likely than older children to be hospitalized with serious complications, such as pneumonia or bacterial infections. During the 2003-2004 flu season, 30 percent of the 153 children who died from the flu or flu-related complication were age 6 to 23 months. Only five of the children who died during the 2003-2004 season were fully vaccinated.

“An infant’s immune system is not fully developed, so he or she can’t fight off the virus as well,” says Dr. Lynette Mazur, a professor of pediatrics at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. “The flu is a serious danger to young children. It can kill.”

Cold or Flu?

The common cold and the flu are
both caused by viruses and share
many of the same symptoms. But
the flu makes people feel worse,
and it can cause serious
complications, like pneumonia.
People with colds are more likely
to have a runny or stuffy nose.
The flu also causes higher fevers
than colds.

Because the last flu season was so severe, the CDC is urging parents to vaccinate healthy children aged 6 to 23 months for the flu. This is the first time the CDC is formally making this recommendation. The flu shot is not approved for infants younger than 6 months.

How a Vaccine Gets Made

Each year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization choose three flu viruses— one A (H3N2) virus, one A (H1N1) virus, and one B virus— to go into flu vaccines for the following fall and winter. The human body makes antibodies to fight the virus in the vaccine. The better the match between the circulating strains and the vaccine, the better the protection against the flu.

Flu experts believe last year’s season was so severe because an influenza A (H3N2) virus was the main virus causing the epidemic. Also, the influenza A (H3N2) Fujian virus that caused most people to get sick was different than the influenza A (H3N2) virus contained in the vaccine. Making the situation worse, the flu season came early, before many children were vaccinated.

While it is too early to predict the severity of this year’s flu season, most of the influenza viruses that have been isolated so far match the strains contained in this year's vaccine, according to the CDC.

Vaccinating your child in October and early November more likely protects her against the highly contagious disease once the flu season is in full swing, from late December to March. The flu shot takes an average of two weeks to be effective and children under age 9 who have never been vaccinated before need two doses, given a month apart.

Side Effects

Since the virus contained in the flu vaccine is not alive, your child can’t get the flu from the flu shot. But she may not feel so hot after the injection. Expect some soreness at the injection site, a mild fever in some cases and fussiness. She may also vomit, have a headache or feel a little achy.

Flu Signs and Symptoms

A small percentage of children can still catch the flu even if they are vaccinated. For safety’s sake, learn the signs and symptoms of the flu, which include high fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and muscle aches. Children may also have nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The most obvious sign of the flu is difficulty breathing. Call your doctor immediately if your child has any of these symptoms.

“I tell parents that when children are spending more time and effort breathing instead of eating, they probably have a lower respiratory infection and need immediate medical attention,” Mazur says.

Give your baby or toddler plenty of rest and fluids if you suspect she has the flu. Never give your child aspirin if she has flu-like symptoms. Taking aspirin for the flu can cause Reye Syndrome, a serious condition that can cause swelling of the brain and possibly death. You can give your child baby acetaminophen or baby ibuprofen to help bring down a fever, or relieve headache pain.

Who Should be Vaccinated?

The following groups should receive flu vaccinations according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

all children aged 6 to 23 months;
adults aged 65 years and older;
persons aged 2 to 64 years with underlying chronic medical conditions;
all women who will be pregnant during the influenza season;
residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities;
children aged 6 months to 18 years on chronic aspirin therapy;
health-care workers involved in direct patient care; and
out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of children aged less than 6 months

The American Lung Association of Texas also urges children with asthma to be vaccinated. According to a recent study, nearly 80 percent of hospital visits for children under the age of 15 with asthma occur during flu season. The study estimates that if every asthmatic child in Texas received the flu vaccine, 68 percent of hospital visits would be prevented every year.

Visit the CDC’s Flu Center website at for more information.

UPDATED: 10-11-2004