Flu Vaccines Options for Children

Once children reach the age of six months, influenza vaccinations become a viable option for fighting against the flu. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children be given the annual influenza vaccination once they are old enough. Seasonal flus are one of the most common illnesses in the country due to their highly contagious nature, affecting both children and adults. As such, getting vaccinated every year can drastically reduce the risk of becoming infected with the flu.

The problem with flu vaccinations is that many young children are afraid of needles and injections, with many children dreading or resisting pediatricians administering the shot. Fortunately, advances in medical technology has allowed vaccinologists to create more flu vaccine options available to the general public.

While the traditional flu shot is still available, vaccinologists have come up with annual influenza vaccine formulations that protects people from four dominant strains of the virus, which is a great improvement from the older trivalent vaccines. In addition, the use of nasal spray vaccinations has been growing in popularity, particularly for children who are afraid of needles. Children who couldn't get flu vaccines in the past due to egg allergies (the use of chicken embryos was the traditional methodology in producing flu vaccines) can now get vaccinated due to a new egg-free flu vaccine that was developed.