Q&A: To get the flu vaccine or not?

One doesn’t need to look far to see that the flu season is early and already well upon us.

Schools are full of sick and coughing kids, ERs and walk-in clinics are overwhelmed and reportedly over 20 percent of the staff at Children’s Hospital in Seattle are out sick with flu infection.

Parents ask me many times daily about my opinion on vaccination and, right now, about the flu shot in particular. I strongly support immunizations in general and I urge all parents to consider flu shots (both the seasonal and H1N1 shots) for all their children.

It is a complicated year for influenza. We have two different shots to administer: One for standard seasonal flu and one for H1N1 infection. Supply issues and shortages are challenging flu shot clinic schedules and are having to be rescheduled or cancelled and will require patience from providers and patients alike.

Following are some of the most common questions that I hear in the office.

Is the flu shot safe?

The flu shot is safe and you cannot get influenza from the injectable vaccine. It is not a live virus. The flu mist vaccine, which is intranasal, is a weak form of the live virus. Personally, I have received the flu shot annually for more than 20 years and have never had a significant reaction from it or gotten sick as a result of it. As a pediatrician, I am constantly exposed to influenza and have never been ill from it. I believe it’s thanks to the vaccinations.

I don’t think my child should get the H1N1 vaccine because it is new and not been tested.

The H1N1 flu shot has been trialed and studies have shown it does not have any increased risk compared to the standard flu shot and is safe and effective. It is produced in the exact same manner as the standard flu shot. There is nothing new about the shot except that it contains an inactivated form of the H1N1 virus only.

I don’t feel my child is at risk from the flu.

Children under the age of 2 are at particular risk from the flu. Children with medical problems such as asthma, seizures and other neurological disorders and those with weakened immune systems due to medical conditions or immunosuppressive medicines are at particular high risk. Children in general though, even if healthy, seem more prone to H1N1 infection. Early statistics show higher and earlier cases of death in children than is usually seen. Clearly, it is already a very early and high prevalence season with many schools reporting 10 percent absenteeism or higher already this year. Given the safety and effectiveness of vaccination, why not be proactive and get your child vaccinated to be on the safe side?

As a healthy adult, I don’t see a reason to get the vaccine.

You should get vaccinated to protect yourself and to prevent transmitting the flu to others and your children. Studies show you can transmit the virus early in your infection before you even realize you have the flu. Personally, I feel strongly we not only have individual decisions to make about vaccinating, but also have a social and collective responsibility in choosing to vaccinate so we can all do the best we can as a society to reduce the spread of this disease. Too many people fail to consider the fate of others in making their own personal decision about vaccination.

I had the swine flu last spring; do I really need to get the shot this year since I am already immune?

Yes, get the shot. Immunity is temporary and there are individuals who get the flu more than once a season and don’t develop immunity. Be safe and vaccinate yourself, your child and the whole family.

Contact your health provider for information or visit the Everett Clinic Web site at everettclinic.com and see the link devoted to H1N1 influenza.