Does your child need a flu shot even if he has good immunity?

Does your child need a flu shot?

Hello parents, today we will discuss the reasons why our kids need the flu shot even if their immunity is good. Winter is here in North India and what I fear most is not the chilly winds but the onset of flu season. We love the cold weather but we definitely hate the hike in the number of sick days during these months. Nemit got cold for the first time in the month of November when he was 11 months old. And, this was also the first time he fell sick. So, we immediately went to the pediatrician only to hear that it’s a good thing for our baby’s immunity.

Yes, she said that getting early exposure to colds may boost the child’s immunity. I was a bit shocked to hear this from our doctor’s mouth though I had already read about it. But, for a parent, it’s not easy to look at their sick child & think, ‘it’s something good for you, baby, just let it pass’.

At that time, Nemit’s pediatrician also mentioned something about the flu but I couldn’t understand much about it. I thought it to be the medical name for common cold hence ignored it. Last year in October we got a notification from our pediatrician. It was about the availability of flu vaccine at her clinic.

Why does my child need a flu vaccination when he has a pretty good immune system?

Around the same time, Nemit got really sick, it started with a cold and then the symptoms just aggravated. While getting him checked, the doctor mentioned flu-like symptoms. But, at that time I was not much aware of it.

So, the first thing I did was to read about what is flu & flu vaccination. I got to know that flu is a viral infection almost similar in symptoms as that of a cold but very high in severity. Flu is caused by the influenza virus and it can be deadly too. And, that’s why doctors recommend taking flu vaccination every year.

Flu season starts from Oct to Feb in North India.

While waiting at her clinic, I met a fellow mom & asked her if she has opted for the flu vaccine for her child. Her reply made me really confused. She said her child has a pretty good immune system so she’s not opting for it. Even Nemit’s immunity was good, still, he got sick!

When in doubt, consult your doctor!

You may also read – How to choose the right vaccine for your child?

Does your child need a flu shot even if he has a good immunity?

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Here are the 3 reasons why every child needs a flu vaccination as shared by our pediatrician-

3 Reasons why your child needs a flu shot

1 – Children below 5 years of age are highly vulnerable to the flu because of their still-developing immune system. Even if your child’s immunity is good, there is still a very high risk of getting complications with flu.

2- The flu virus keeps on evolving hence it becomes even more important to get your child immunized every year. The worst part about flu infection is that it can even lead to death if not detected early on.

3- Getting your child vaccinated also means protecting other vulnerable populations from getting infected, especially infants (younger than 6 months) who can’t get the vaccination.

Thanks to our doctor, we got all our doubts cleared. And, we as a family, decided to take the flu vaccine every year without fail to #IPromiseToStopFlu

India has recorded a total of 28,050 Influenza cases (H1N1) in 2019 (as on 27th Oct’19)

Source – https://ncdc.gov.in/showfile.php?lid=280


Disclaimer: – All content here, including advice from the doctor, should be considered as opinion only. Always seek direct advice from your own doctor in case of any health-related questions.

 

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23 Comments

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    Shilpa Garg December 27, 2019 at 1:01 pm - Reply

    True, kids are vulnerable to infections and with the ever evolving viruses and bacterias, it is important to give them flu shots even if they have good immunity. Thanks for sharing this informative post and helping to create awareness about stopping flu!!

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      Neha Sharma December 27, 2019 at 5:42 pm - Reply

      Thank you, Shilpa. Glad you found it informative!

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    Varsh December 27, 2019 at 5:05 pm - Reply

    Flu can be dangerous amongst kids and flu shots are the best way to prevent it. Despite having good immunity it is crucial to protect our kids!

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      Neha Sharma December 27, 2019 at 5:47 pm - Reply

      That’s right! Thanks for stopping by, Varsha

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    Anahita Irani December 28, 2019 at 2:50 pm - Reply

    Glad I realised that getting a vaccination is so important and relevant for young kids.

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      Neha Sharma December 29, 2019 at 7:50 pm - Reply

      Getting a flu shot every year is good for the entire family. Thanks for reading!

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    Gurjeet Chhabra December 28, 2019 at 10:39 pm - Reply

    Prevention is better than cure, i have given vaccination to my kids. Flu is deadly disease and that scares me .

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      Neha Sharma December 29, 2019 at 7:51 pm - Reply

      You are right Gurjeet, prevention is better than cure and that’s why vaccination is a must.

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    Pragnya Mishra December 29, 2019 at 12:24 am - Reply

    A much informative post. Vaccination is th eonly way to fight against flu. We took the shot earlier this year.

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      Neha Sharma December 29, 2019 at 8:01 pm - Reply

      Thanks Pragnya

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    Debidutta Mohanty December 29, 2019 at 6:43 am - Reply

    Flu, a viral disease and you have rightly mentioned that it keeps evolving. Flu shots are the best way to keep this vulnerable disease at bay amongst kids. Thanks for sharing this informative post.

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      Neha Sharma December 29, 2019 at 8:02 pm - Reply

      Thank you Debidutta

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    Jhilmil D Saha December 29, 2019 at 9:17 am - Reply

    It is important as parents to get our children all the necessary shots and vaccinations on time by consulting a doctor.

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      Neha Sharma December 29, 2019 at 8:03 pm - Reply

      You are absolutely right, Jhilmil

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    Tina Basu December 29, 2019 at 10:28 am - Reply

    Flu shots are so important. You need to be updated with all facts when it comes to vaccines and preventive medicines

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      Neha Sharma December 29, 2019 at 8:05 pm - Reply

      That’s true, we should be well aware of the vaccines available

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    Shalu December 29, 2019 at 10:30 am - Reply

    We had this same dilemma for our twins. But we decided to stay safe and give them flu shots anyways. Why take risks with young kids.

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      Neha Sharma December 29, 2019 at 8:06 pm - Reply

      Exactly, we can’t take risks with the health of our kids.

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    Deepika December 29, 2019 at 7:44 pm - Reply

    I think the Flu shot is very essential for under 5 years old kids. It reduces the risk of the infection. We can’t predict even they have the good immunity.Nice post.

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      Neha Sharma December 29, 2019 at 8:08 pm - Reply

      Glad you find it informative! Thanks for stopping by.

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    Amrit Kaur December 29, 2019 at 9:07 pm - Reply

    Prevention is always better than cure. My nephew just got the flu shot as he has low immunity and catches flu soon.

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    Priya Iyer October 8, 2020 at 11:03 am - Reply

    Forwarding this to my sisters who have two toddler boys. Thank you for this very useful post.

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      Neha Sharma October 8, 2020 at 11:19 am - Reply

      Glad you found it useful.

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