Summer has not yet passed, but it is swiftly fading as Sept. 21 approaches. This means preparing kids for school, a change of clothes and, for many people living in colder climes, flu season. It is not quite here yet, which is why it is important for adults to vaccinate themselves now, and their children in particular.
Now that school is here, kids will be interacting with many more people than they have in months, at a time when the chance of infection is the greatest for some illnesses. NBC News recently recommended that it is better that everyone get vaccinated sooner rather than later to ensure children's health and wellness. As relatively harmless as the flu may seem, it can potentially be fatal. The news provider reported that the illness hospitalizes about 200,000 people per year, and is fatal for up to 49,000 individuals annually.
"Influenza virus is unpredictable, and what's most important is that people receive the vaccine soon, so that they will be protected when the virus begins circulating," Henry Bernstein, M.D., of the Hofstra North Shore – Long Island Jewish Health System, told NBC News.
Parents should not delay flu shots in the hope of something better
Citing experts such as Bernstein, NBC News pointed out that parents should not delay vaccination in the hope of giving their kids a specific treatment. While the influenza virus has multiple strains, a complete lack of resistance will put children more at risk than at least some protection. The source noted the fact that 160 children died from the flu last year. As such, a shot is better now than later, and the more people who are vaccinated against the illness, the less of a chance it will have to spread.
Convincing children to get a shot can be difficult. Parents can choose to use a nasal-spray flu vaccine, although the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended not using it for children under 5 years of age with breathing problems, or for anyone younger than 2 and older than 50. For any other kids, though, options are a good way to give them a sense of empowerment while providing them with important protection against illness. The same is true with other medications, where choice may create the sense that they are deciding what is best for themselves. Multiple flavored treatments, of a kind that FLAVORx produces, can offer this, and making medicine taste better also encourages kids to take it.
