Flu Vaccines Protect You
Have you had a flu shot? Most kids have and there's good reason. Like all vaccines (say: VAK-seens), this one can protect you from a pretty awful illness — the flu.
No one loves shots (injections with a needle), 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 (say: in-floo-EN-zuh), 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?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the flu vaccine for all people age 6 months and older.
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, you should get your shot in your doctor's office, not at a supermarket or drugstore.
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 scared of getting a shot? Talk with your mom or dad about it. They’ve most likely had lots of shots in their lives and know exactly how you feel.
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.)