Influenza vaccine in children

The arrival of the cold is usually accompanied by the tedious flu, and to mitigate the effects of the disease, vaccination campaigns are proposed, but is it safe to vaccinate a child? We are going to give a series of recommendations about the flu vaccine in children, and to know if its vaccination i

The arrival of the cold is usually accompanied by the tedious flu, and to mitigate the effects of the disease, vaccination campaigns are proposed, but is it safe to vaccinate a child? We are going to give a series of recommendationsabout the flu vaccine in children, and to know if its vaccination is safe.

Not long ago the flu was a disease with a quite considerable mortality rate, now, and thanks to medical advances, the flu is a disease that will leave us in bed between two and five days with muscle aches, fever, cough, but nothing else, unless you belong to a risk group, then you have to pay more attention.

Influenza vaccine in children: Help prevent the virus

But what is the flu? Is it so important for us to vaccinate our son against her? Influenza is an acute and contagious airway virus that is modified very frequently, that is why the vaccine is renewed every year to adapt it to the new strains, and despite being a non-fatal virus, it is convenient that risk groups, such as the elderly, pregnant or children with chronic diseases, are vaccinated to mitigate possible complications in their clinical picture, such as pneumonia or otitis.

The flu vaccine tries to incapacitate two proteins present in the influenza virus. On the one hand, hemagglutinin, responsible for the influenza, and neuraminidase, responsible for the degree of severity of the condition. The influenza vaccine does not contain active viruses so it will not cause infection in the child, but perhaps if a reaction with a little fever and discomfort can be noted the next day or the days of the administration of the vaccine. The vaccine

should not be given to babies under six months , and although in the under nine years the vaccine is administered in two doses, from nine with a single dose is enough. It is recommended for children with diabetes, respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and intestinal and renal diseases. But there is also part of the population thatshould not be vaccinated if they have an allergy to eggs or any other component of the vaccine, so it is always advisable to consult with the child's pediatrician. What if we do not want to vaccinate the child what can happen? It is totally lawful and there will be another, if our child is infected with influenza,

rest, drink plenty of liquid, honey and lemon to relieve the throat, avoid sudden changes in temperature, and if you administer ibuprofen or paracetamol to alleviate the fever, since the administration of antibiotics is not necessary. Diego Fernández

. Editor of Guiainfantil