Influenza Virus Still a Problem for Children
Posted on Friday, February 27th, 2009 and is filed under Parenting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
The influenza virus is still a problem and an organization encourages parents to vaccinate their children now with the flu vaccine.
The Childhood Influenza Immunization Coalition (CIIC) says that a number of children have died because of influenza. They encourage parents to get their children vaccinated now. The vaccine will provide influenza protection after two weeks from the time of injection.
“Most people use the term “flu” generically, to describe a number of different viruses that circulate in winter months (between December and May), but true influenza is much more severe than these other viruses,” said Dr. Carol J. Baker, Immediate Past President of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and Chair of CIIC. “It’s also preventable. Unfortunately, far too few kids get the vaccine each year. As a pediatrician, it is devastating to see kids suffer needlessly.”
Each year, influenza cause approximately 100 deaths and about 20,000 hospitalizations. Health experts recommend that kids between the ages of six months and 18 years old receive an influenza vaccination. Babies under six months old cannot receive a vaccination, but experts suggest that those around them should do so.
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