Should my child get the flu vaccine?

– Last flu season in the pediatric ward, which I supervise, there were definitely more cases of flu in children than a year ago – says prof. Teresa Jackowska, national consultant in the field of paediatrics. Research shows that infants need to be hospitalized for influenza as often as elderly people who are chronically ill. Flu is especially dangerous for the youngest because it can result in very serious complications, such as severe pneumonia. Meanwhile, children can only be vaccinated against the flu virus from the age of 6 months. – In the first six months of life, a cocoon strategy is used, i.e. we vaccinate all those who live in the child’s environment and this is the most effective prophylaxis – says prof. Teresa Jackowska. Especially since the effectiveness of the vaccine in adults ranges from 50-95 percent, and in children in studies it usually does not exceed 30. Prof. Leszek Szenborn, head of the Department and Clinic of Paediatrics and Infectious Diseases at the Medical University of Wrocław, admits that pneumococcal or rotavirus infections are diseases that lead to a higher percentage of life-threatening conditions and the need for hospitalization than flu. – That is why I urge you to prevent these diseases. However, I would like to emphasize that parents who get vaccinated against the flu protect their little ones in this way and will certainly vaccinate them in the future – he says.

Prof. Leszek Szenborn talks about the severe course of flu in children. – I remember a case from 2013. It was a nine-year-old girl with a chronic bone disease of unknown etiology, who fell during the flu season with a common cold disease. On the fourth day she was admitted to the hospital due to the lack of improvement with the symptoms typical of flu. Despite the treatment, the girl’s condition was systematically deteriorating. In the end, she landed on resuscitation and the X-ray showed influenza pneumonia, the so-called picture of a frosted glass. The girl required not only assisted breathing, but also extracorporeal oxygenation. She spent 3 weeks in intensive therapy under the apparatus. Fortunately, she has come out of it, but it is an example of very severe flu cases that do happen, she says. – I have seen a lot of children who have not been diagnosed with the disease, but it proceeded like a typical flu and ended with severe consequences, including autoimmune diseases – he adds.

Children under two months of age and with chronic diseases are most at risk of severe complications from influenza in the form of viral or bacterial pneumonia, respiratory failure and death. Influenza is much more severe in toddlers in the first 4 years of life than in older children, and sometimes requires hospital treatment. In addition, the risk of complications is 2-4 times higher in children with the so-called risk groups. This mainly concerns children chronically treated with acetylsalicylic acid preparations (aspirin or polopyrin), suffering from asthma, heart, kidney, liver and hematopoietic diseases and metabolic diseases (e.g. diabetes). Also for those with immunodeficiency who have neurological problems that impair breathing and swallowing.

Prof. Szenborn emphasizes that the effectiveness of treatment with flu drugs depends on the speed at which the therapy is started. They are most effective when given up to 72 hours after the onset of symptoms. Meanwhile, it is difficult to predict at the beginning of the disease whether its course will be serious and will require medication. – Unfortunately, we are not able to say within 3 days whether the patient will have a severe course or not. After some time it turns out that it was a serious illness, only then it may be too late and the treatment will be ineffective. Therefore, everything indicates that we should get vaccinated against the flu – he advises. In his opinion, this vaccination should be included in the mandatory list, especially for risk groups and medical personnel.

Apart from general contraindications to vaccinations, allergy to cow’s milk proteins is also mentioned among those suffering from influenza, but not for all preparations. Those containing protein below 0,12 µg / ml are considered safe. Another contraindication to vaccinations is the child’s allergy to neomycin and severe allergic reactions to previously administered doses.