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Regional Pediatrics Upcoming News and Events

CDC recommends that all children aged 6 months up to their 19th birthday get a flu vaccine.

Vaccination of all children aged 5-18 years is a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendation.

CDC also recommends that people in contact with certain groups of children get a flu vaccine

in order to protect the child (or children) in their lives from the flu. The following contacts of children are recommended for influenza vaccination by CDC:

• Close contacts of children younger than 5 years old (people who live with them including older children and adolescents) should get a flu vaccine.
• Out-of-home caregivers (nannies, daycare providers, etc.) of children younger than 5 years old should get a flu vaccine.
• People who live with or have other close contact with a child or children of any age with a chronic health problem (asthma, diabetes, etc.) should get a flu vaccine.
• Pregnant women

Children and adolescents at higher risk for influenza complication are those:

• Aged 6 months-4 years;
• Who have chronic pulmonary (including asthma), cardiovascular (except hypertension), renal, hepatic, hematological or metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus);
• Who are immunosuppressed (including immunosuppression caused by medications or by human immunodeficiency virus);
• Who have any condition (e.g., cognitive dysfunction, spinal cord injuries, seizure disorders, or other neuromuscular disorders) that can compromise respiratory function or the handling of respiratory secretions or that can increase the risk for aspiration;
• Who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy who therefore might be at risk for experiencing Reye syndrome after influenza virus infection;
• Who are residents of chronic-care facilities; and,
• Who will be pregnant during the influenza season.

Even if your child does not fit the higher risk categories listed above, Regional Pediatric Associates still encourages all children get vaccinated for influenza - not only to prevent illness but also to reduce missed school days for children and missed work days for their parents.

There are two ways to get the influenza vaccine. The first is the traditional shot - an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle. The second is the intranasal influenza vaccine (containing live, weakened flu virus that does not cause the flu), Flumist. This is a good alternative for people who want to avoid shots. It is available for healthy, non-pregnant 5-49 year olds.

Other facts to know regarding the influenza vaccines:

Children less than 9 years old getting the flu vaccine for the first time should get two doses (at least one month apart, whether flu shot or Flumist). Some people should not be vaccinated or should wait before getting vaccinated. They include:

• People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs.
• People who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination in the past.
• People who developed Guillain-Barre syndrome within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine previously.
• Children less than 6 months of age.
• People who have a moderate or severe illness with a fever.  (These people can get vaccinated once their symptoms lessen.)

Please call to schedule your child's flu vaccine. We are scheduling nurse visits for influenza vaccines.

When you call for your child's appointment, please tell us whether you are interested in the shot or nasal form of the flu vaccine. The visit for flu vaccine is schedule for a nurse visit only - if you have other concerns about your child's health including illness, please schedule the appointment with a physician.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call us at 919-477-2202 (North Durham Location) or 919-544-2049 (South Durham Location).

For more information about influenza, and influenza vaccine:  http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa

For more information regarding Flumist:  http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/nasalspray.htm