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?

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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.