Should I Give My Child the Flu Shot?

But experts and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agree: adults and children (6 months and older) should get the flu shot every year (usually in September and October).

Not only does the flu vaccine prevent people from contracting the flu, a 2017 CDC study showed that it greatly reduced the risk of children dying from the flu, reducing risk by 65% in healthy children and 51% in high-risk kids with underlying medical conditions. In addition, a 2014 study indicated that the vaccine was 74% effective at keeping children from the pediatric intensive care unit.

If you’re wondering if children actually die from influenza in the US, the answer is yes. According to research, during flu seasons from 2004 to 2020, 37 to 199 kids died every year from the flu.

Getting the flu shot also reduces the risk of hospitalization from the flu. A 2014 study showed that the vaccine was 74% effective in preventing a child from being sent to a PICU.

“Even if your child was vaccinated, they can still get the flu infection from someone else, but because your child got the vaccine, they are less likely to suffer flu complications,” spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics and pediatrician Steph Lee, MD, MPH, FAAP explained to Mom.com. “80% of children who die from the flu each year are not fully vaccinated against flu.”

For mom and Latinx media company CEO Jeannette Kaplun, it was a definite yes to the vaccine. “Ever since my daughter had the flu and later developed pneumonia at 17 months of age, I have given my kids the flu shot,” she told Mom.com. "I’m also getting it once again this year. Not taking any risks with my family’s health when I can prevent severe illness."

This year, there are two types of flu vaccines: a shot and a nasal spray. According to the CDC, all flu vaccines for the 2022-2023 season are quadrivalent (protecting against four different flu viruses), 93% of which will be thimerosal-free or thimerosal-reduced vaccines, and around 20% of flu vaccines will be egg-free.

Pennsylvania pediatrician Dr. Lee said that the AAP recommended either the injection or the nasal spray flu vaccine. “Families have options this year and both have been shown to be effective this season against circulating flu viruses,” she added.

The flu shot (injection)
This is what most of us are familiar with: we get a shot in our arm of a solution containing nonviable virus particles (these particles are not contagious to other people and you cannot get the flu from it). Our immune system is kick-started and begins to recognize the flu virus (and then kill it).

The nasal spray (inhalation)
The nasal spray version is geared toward children and adults ages 2 through 49. It’s a weakened live virus and for people with normal immune systems, you cannot get the flu from it. But for folks with weak immune systems, the spray can cause you to get the flu, so please talk to your health care provider about whether this option is appropriate for you or your child.

Remember: It takes about two weeks for the flu shot to be fully effective so please be aware that your kids can catch the flu between getting the shot and two weeks later. Please continue to wash your hands thoroughly and take other preventive measures like social distancing and mask wearing.

Like all vaccines, there are side effects to the flu shot. The most common of which are:

• Pain
• Swelling and redness at injection site
• Possible mild flu-like symptoms like headache, muscle aches, fatigue, and low-grade fever

As for the nasal spray, the main side effects are a possible runny or stuffy nose and cough.

Most of these side effects will go away within 24 to 36 hours and don’t mean your kid caught the flu. It’s just the child's immune system doing its job.

Contact your health care provider or go to the hospital if within a few minutes or hours after getting the vaccine you or your child experience:

• Severe allergic reactions like swelling around the eyes or lips, difficulty breathing, wheezing, hives, dizziness, fast heartbeat
• High fever
• Behavior changes

Though these sound super scary, life-threatening reactions to flu vaccines are incredibly rare. Ultimately, the benefits of the flu shot outweigh the cons.

“I have had the flu with the shot, and I have had the flu without the shot,” writer Eliza Broadbent shared with us. “It keeps you safe from serious illness. You might still get the flu. But when your entire family is sick at the same time, you’ll function fine.”