Flu shot for baby necessary??

[jaetee]

I was wondering how many moms have their babies vaccinated for the flu, especially if baby is under one years old. My pediatrician recommended it, but most of my friends (albeit not in HK) dont get this shot for their babies.

Are you / did you/ will you get your baby vaccinated for the flu?

 

[capital]

I did when my children were infants, and am this year as well (age 1.5 and 3.5). Children under 23 months are hospitalized more often with influenza, so in my area they are offered free vaccine as considered high risk.

 

[jaetee]

Thanks for the reply. What about other moms in HK - will you or did you have your baby get the flu shot?

 

[elizaveta]

My baby is 8 months old and i am considering NOT to have a flu shot. In fact, when you read the way flu vaccine is constituted (different strains each year), your really wonder whether this will help you, in HK, to have a vaccine against Moscow strain or whatherever other city it has been chosen from. No flushot vaccines are fully timerosal free on top of that. Finally, all of my friends whose babies had flu shot - all had a "small" flu afterwards. I am still thinking, but probably will miss it. Yes, your baby may get flu.... however also if he/she was vaccinated. Difficult choice.

 

[bekyboo44]

We will vaccinate our son with the flu shot, because I'd rather not take any risks and have him very ill with flu.

I think it's important, living as we do in HK, to vaccinate for flu because we live in a crowded city- wherever you go you are constantly surrounded by and in very close proximity to a lot of people and so the chances of getting ill with flu are much higher.
I think also as babies get older they socialise more with other people and babies and thus are exposed to more germs, illnesses etc. And thus are more likely to get ill with the flu.

The HK govt. reccomends that all children under the age of 3 are vaccinated for flu.

 

[jaetee]

If our babies arent in organized playgroups, but do take public transportation and play with some kids, should we go ahead and vaccinate even though there is often a fever or mini-flu symptoms afterwards? My LO gets a fever for 1 - 3 days after each vaccination.

So from your experiences in HK, do most moms vaccinate their babies against the flu from 6 months onwards?

Thanks.

 

[Klam]

My son is 18mths and he has never had the flu shot. It's not that I don't want to, but it's just that every month or so, he needs a vaccination for other things. He's just recently had the Prevenar and next month, he is due the 18mth jab. Babies seem to be having so much vaccination these days that I can't keep up. He still needs to have his chicken pox jab!
Because I do the school run everyday, my son has been exposed to large playground of children since he was 4mths old and attends music classes and organised playgroups and touch wood, he hasn't had any serious illness or the flu. His had the odd cold, but nothing serious.
It's really up to you what you want to do and the more I think about it, I'm more likely NOT to pursue the flu jab.

 

[annahk]

One of my children had flu at 10 months and it was terrifying. I never thought a child could get so dramatically ill, so quickly. The rapid weight loss was scary. So once our baby turns 6 months, we will definitely be getting the vaccine. In the meantime, we have had the rest of the household, including our helper vaccinated, to minimise the chances of one of us getting flu and infecting the whole family.

 

[bekyboo44]

I think that I would rather take the risk of a slight fever from any reaction to the vaccination, than risk my son getting flu. A fever from a vaccination is easily brought down and short lived.

Flu, I think is underestimated as an illness. People get a cough and a cold and go round saying they have flu. Flu, as in influenza, can be very serious in young children and the elderly...which is why the govt. reccomends they are vaccinated.

It is a matter of personal choice...but I think it's important to vaccinate for flu in HK. Contaigous disease spread very fast here because of crowded public places, public transport etc. which is why children born in HK are vaccinated for TB at birth...whereas they might not be in the UK, Australia etc.

A lot of children in HK get the flu shot at school every year.

 

[capital]

The risk of a slight fever and malaise for a day or 2 is nothing compared to true influenza, that is the whole point of the vaccine, benefit vs. risk. If it was riskier to get the side effect of the vaccine than the real disease, no one would get it, no one would recommended it, and I am sure the company wouldn't be able to sell it to anyone, much less manufacure it, or pass any required studies.

influenza is a killed vaccine and can be given the same day as any other killed vaccine, there is no wait time between 1 killed vaccine and another (such as prevnar, meningococcal, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, pertussis, Hib). You could give the same day, 1 day later, 1 week later, 1 month later, it does not matter.