Parenting and Pandemic: Kids Need H1N1 Shots
Amer. Acad. of Pediatrics Urges Shot for Infants, Teens, Early 20s
Oct 5, 2009
The message from the medical establishment is loud and clear. Starting with babies as young as six months, through the ripe old post-college-grad age of 24, children should be vaccinated against the H1N1 influenza, especially if they have any chronic conditions, or respiratory illnesses such as asthma.
It's True, the WHO
So far, this "swine flu" hasn't proven as deadly as initially feared. Many people who've already had H1N1, including children, have suffered relatively mild flu symptoms: fever, aches, and exhaustion for a few days until recovery.
But the past may not be predictive. For children known to be higher risk, for instance, those with diagnosed asthma or other chronic conditions, abstaining from the vaccination is like playing Russian roulette.
Plus, some generally healthy children could get very sick, too.
As one pediatrician put it, there's a chance — a small one, but still, a terrible chance — that a healthy kid could develop complications or die from swine flu. The rub is, nobody can tell in advance which healthy children will be vulnerable to this virus.
And so, because parents and physicians want to protect those potentially vulnerable children--but don't know which precisely they might be — and because the H1N1 flu vaccination appears to be safe, the consensus is this: everyone should get the H1N1 flu shot.
Meanwhile, it's sensible to follow basic hygiene practices, and to wash, wash, wash those hands.
Children, Teens, Young 20s Considered High Risk
Five categories of people have been identified as first priority for receiving the H1N1 flu shot, including pregnant women, and children from the age of six months to 24 years. This may surprise some parents on both ends of the spectrum. And, it's one of the curiosities of the H1N1 virus that people over 65, usually considered a higher risk category for the flu, are not considered especially vulnerable to this strain.
People who have been prioritized for receiving the shot are:
- Children ages 6 months through 24 years
- Parents and caretakers of infants younger than 6 months
- Pregnant women
- Health care workers and emergency services personnel
- Adults ages 25 to 64 with chronic health conditions
Christopher Tolcher, MD, a Los Angeles-based pediatrician and Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at USC School of Medicine, said, “Kids under the age of two are at the greatest risk of complications. The highest risk children are those who have asthma, heart conditions, diabetes, secondary infections, or other conditions that have caused them to go to the emergency room or be hospitalized.”
Note that getting the H1N1 flu shot doesn't substitute for the normal annual flu shot. This year, it's a double-barreled flu shot season.
If There's Not Enough Vaccine to Go Around, Who Gets It First??
Initially, there won't be enough of the H1N1 vaccine available for everyone. One huge Atlanta-based practice of nearly a dozen pediatricians with a combined enrollment of 40,000 patients expect that the initial batch of vaccine received will be enough for only 5,000 patients. That’s one in eight who will be able to receive the first wave of shots.
Distributing limited quantities of the vaccine may involve a judgment call. For instance, a year-old child in day care is likely to be at higher risk for exposure to the flu virus than one who stays at home all day.
Beyond that, it's up to the local health officials to prioritize who gets the vaccine first. The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that:
- "Decisions about expanding vaccination to include additional populations beyond the five initial target groups should be made at the local level because vaccine availability and demand might vary considerably by area."
And, as soon as possible, everyone age 25 to 64 should get the vaccine. With luck, sufficient quantities will become available before the H1N1 flu becomes virulent, should that ever happen.
Is the H1N1 Flu Shot Safe for Children?
So far, the vaccine seems safe.“First of all,” explained Dr. Tolcher, “it is being tested in several thousand kids and adults, and reports from the CDC show no unusual or unexpected reactions.”He explained that the safety testing for the H1N1 strain of flu is “being done same way as seasonal flu, using the same process."
In other words, the only difference between the H1N1 flu shot and the normal annual flu shot is the virus itself. And like all vaccines, reactions to it are being carefully monitored.
Some parents, swayed by media reports of how mild H1N1 flu symptoms have been to date, might skip getting their children vaccinated. Nobody knows how virulent or mild this strain might be. But the nation's leading pediatricians and public health officials are clear in calling for all children to be vaccinated across a broad age spectrum, from six months to 24 years of age.
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