Doctors Warn of Flu Dangers in Children
Last year hundreds of children died from the flu. This year, doctors are warning parents on why they should get children vaccinated.
In a recent report done by C.S Mott Children’s Hospital, 34 percent of parents say their child probably won’t be getting the flu shot this year.
After last year’s alarming deaths in children, some parents want to be prepared.
“With having a child in the home I don’t want to have him the same way so I feel like I always want to have vaccinated too and including my family and everything else,” says parent Michael Manardi.
But there are some that think otherwise. C. S Mott Children’s Hospital recently reported to that 34 percent of parents will not give their child the flu shot this flu season.
“Although most people think the flu is just a self limited illness it can have complications, requiring hospitalization, ICU admissions, even death,” says Dr. Albert Holloway.
Montgomery pediatrician Dr. Albert Holloway, says despite a child being perfectly healthy, they should always be vaccinated for the flu.
“The fact that a child is perfectly healthy does not alleviate the fact that a child needs the flu vaccine because even healthy children have died over the past couple of years because of flu because of complications,” says Holloway.
Dr. Holloway wants parents to also be at ease about any concerns of the flu vaccine actually causing children to get sick.
“Sometimes you may have aches for maybe a day or two but that’s about the worse thing that you have,” says Holloway.
Just like many doctors, Holloway says it’s not worth it to skip out on the flu vaccine for your children or yourself during this flu season.
“It’s alarming to have any deaths in children that could be prevented,” says Holloway.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 179 children died from the flu during last year’s flu season and that 80 percent of those deaths were children that were not vaccinated.
