“Flu vaccine for healthy children- Why is it necessary?”
Hi, my son is a healthy 15-year old that exercises regularly and eats relatively healthy. My question is: Why should he receive the Flu vaccine if he is healthy he shouldn't get extremely ill and die if I'm correct. My son got it last year and had cold-like symptoms so that got me asking should he get it if he reacts to it. If he should get it- when is the best time to get it?
Male | 15 years old
Complaint duration: None
Medications: None
Conditions: Noe
2 Answers
Influenza is a seasonal virus that mutates every year, necessitating an updated vaccine every year. The vaccine is variably effective, as the manufacturers must "guess" what the new mutation will look like before it actually arrives here, and sometimes they guess better than others. For most healthy people, influenza is a mild, self limited illness that requires a few days of bedrest and not much else. For those with underlying health issues, or those around people who are immunocompromised, getting a flu vaccine is the best way to minimize the chance of catching influenza. If you, or your situation, is such that being laid up for a few days would not be horribly inconvenient, then it may be less important to get the vaccine -- for most it is a matter of choice. While the early versions of the influenza vaccine used attenuated live virus, thus giving you a mild case of the flu, the newest ones are not that type --- the new influenza vaccines canNOT GIVE YOU influenza. You may feel the effects of the immune response, but it is NOT influenza.
Shelley C. Springer, MD, MBA, MSc, JD, FAAP
Shelley C. Springer, MD, MBA, MSc, JD, FAAP
Influenza is a very tricky disease, nobody can guarantee who can be complicated with this disease, does no matter if you are healthy the best policy is to get vaccinated every year, and is true that you can get a mild like flu illness with the vaccine but this is showing your immune system is working also when you get your flu shot every year those symptoms tend to be less because your immune system has more information, please get your flu shot every year don’t be afraid will be the best for you and your son.
