AAP Releases Flu Season Steering for Children

Flu season is approaching once more, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has up to date its suggestions on prevention and vaccination for 2024-2025. 

The assertion highlights a sobering reality: Not solely did influenza vaccination charges drop final 12 months, however pediatric deaths associated to flu rose, with essentially the most deaths reported because the 2019-2020 season.

This is what dad and mom must know concerning the flu in children and getting vaccinated.

Flu Issues for Children

Mother and father who’ve had a toddler house sick in earlier years gained’t be shocked to be taught that flu is most prevalent in youngsters. These youthful than 5—particularly youthful than 2 and with underlying medical situations—are most probably to expertise an elevated threat of issues and hospitalization.

“Quite a lot of the struggling we noticed final 12 months may have been prevented or no less than lessened in severity by immunizing extra children with influenza vaccine,” says Kristina A. Bryant, MD, FAAP, a member of the AAP Committee on Infectious Illnesses (COID) and lead creator of the flu coverage assertion and technical report.

Dr. Bryant additionally tells Mother and father, “Some dad and mom could not understand that influenza could cause extreme or life-threatening infections, even in wholesome youngsters, and that flu vaccines can stop essentially the most critical issues of flu.” 

What To Know Concerning the Flu Vaccine

This 12 months’s flu vaccine is trivalent. Certainly, dad and mom and caregivers will probably be glad to know the immunization protects towards three strains of the sickness. As for who ought to get vaccinated, and when, listed here are the Cliffs notes:

• All youngsters over 6 months and with out medical contraindications ought to get vaccinated.
• Some folks want two doses, similar to children between 6 months and eight years who’ve by no means been vaccinated earlier than, in addition to these whose vaccine standing isn’t identified, or who acquired only one dose earlier than July 1, 2024. The 2 doses ought to be administered no less than 4 weeks aside. 
• Different youngsters obtain one dose for the 2024-2025 season.
• It’s really helpful that vaccination takes place earlier than October, 31. 2024.

In the meantime, vaccination is secure and really helpful for these pregnant and breastfeeding. “Being pregnant causes folks to be at elevated threat for extra extreme and lethal flu sickness, which is a hazard not solely to the mom herself but additionally to the growing fetus,” Michelle Bennett, MD, FAAP, PLLC, a board-certified pediatrician at Elliston Pediatrics tells Mother and father.

She provides that when persons are vaccinated throughout being pregnant, they move antibodies to the newborn earlier than start. “The newborn is born with some flu safety that lasts for the primary a number of months, reducing the newborn’s chance of flu sickness,” Dr. Bennett says.

Flu Shot or Nasal Spray for Children

Dr. Bryant emphasizes that everybody 6 months and older ought to be vaccinated. She additional explains, “There are two sorts of vaccines. The flu shot could be given to youngsters of all ages. A flu vaccine given as a nasal spray could be given to most wholesome youngsters 2 years and older.” 

Speak to your well being care supplier to find out which model is greatest suited in your little one, in addition to to debate any allergic reactions or current medical situations.

“Extreme allergic reactions to flu vaccines are uncommon, however youngsters who’ve had a extreme response ought to see an allergist to find out whether it is secure to obtain one other flu vaccine,” Dr. Bryant says.

Specialists Weigh in on Declining Flu Vaccine Charges

Per the AAP report, vaccine charges haven’t been this low since pre-COVID occasions. Sadly, racial disparities exist within the vaccination charges seen final 12 months.

Total, 57% of youngsters and adolescents had been vaccinated final flu season—that’s much like the 2021-2-22 season however down from virtually 63% within the 2019-2020 season, per Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) knowledge.

Solely 49% of Black youngsters had been vaccinated final 12 months, whereas 51% of white children obtained influenza vaccines. In the meantime, 60% of Hispanic children had been vaccinated. Children dwelling in rural areas had decrease vaccination charges than in city settings. In-hospital deaths had been highest amongst Black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander youngsters.

“We’re positively seeing a troubling, downward pattern in vaccine acceptance,” says Ari Brown, MD, an Austin, Texas-based pediatrician and founding father of the Child 411 guide collection and guardian schooling. “It is probably quite a lot of societal elements which have led to this however I’m hopeful that all of us realized extra about infectious illnesses after getting by way of the pandemic.”

Dr. Bryant says that within the early years of the pandemic, there have been only a few flu instances. “I think some dad and mom give up considering or worrying concerning the flu,” she explains. However final 12 months was a reminder that defending children towards the sickness must be a precedence. “Throughout the US, hundreds of youngsters had been hospitalized due to flu, and greater than 190 children died from flu-related issues,” Dr. Bryant studies.

Even with the eye-opening proof introduced within the AAP’s findings, there will probably be dad and mom who’re not sure about getting their children vaccinated. Dr. Brown’s message for households is that this: “I hope persons are motivated to guard themselves and family members. As a pediatrician, I’ve all the time had nice respect for a way horrible infectious illnesses, together with flu, could be, as a result of I’ve cared for sufferers who’ve been critically sick with it.” 

Dr. Bennett provides, “Flu vaccine has been round for a lot of, a few years now, and hundreds of thousands upon hundreds of thousands of doses have been given to youngsters. The security document is powerful.” 

Lastly, Dr. Brown urges that since some folks, together with infants, can’t be vaccinated, they depend on others to guard them, and leaves us with this: “My mantra has all the time been, let’s stop what’s preventable.”