Flu Season

The physicians of New Beginnings Pediatrics recommend the Seasonal and the H1N1 Flu Vaccine for our patients. However, due to manufacturing shortages, we may be temporarily out of vaccines.  Shipments arrive weekly, so check here often to see if we are scheduling appointments for your child to get vaccinated. Thanks in advance for your patience.

10/19/09 Seasonal Flu Vaccine for ages 36 months and above: Out of stock
11/12/09 Seasonal Flu Vaccine for ages 6-35 months: In stock

• Currently scheduling appointments for vaccination.

11/24/09 H1N1 Flu Vaccine:  In stock

• Both injection and FluMist are available.
• Currently scheduling appointments for vaccination for all age groups.
• Please pre-register for the H1N1 flu vaccine at https://h1n1vaccine.odh.ohio.gov/. Print and bring the consent form to your child's appointment.

 

How can I keep my child from getting the flu?

Good hygiene is the best way to prevent the flu from spreading to other family members. If your child has the flu, the following will help prevent its spread:

• Teach your child to cover her mouth and nose with a tissue or her sleeve, but not with her hands, when coughing or sneezing. If your child is old enough, teach her how to blow her nose properly.
• Use tissues for runny noses and to catch sneezes. Throw them in the trash after each use.
• Avoid kissing your child on or around the mouth or face, though she will need plenty of hugs while she's sick.
• Make sure everyone washes his or her hands before and after coming into close contact with someone with the flu.
• Wash dishes and utensils in hot, soapy water or the dishwasher.
• Don't let children share pacifiers, cups, utensils, washcloths, or towels. Never share toothbrushes.
• Use disposable paper cups in the bathroom and kitchen.
• Disinfect. Viruses can live for more than 30 minutes on doorknobs, toilet handles, counter tops, and even toys. Use a disinfectant or soap and hot water to keep these areas clean.
• Don't smoke around your child. Children who are exposed to tobacco smoke cough and wheeze more and have a harder time getting over the flu.

Vaccination is the Best Protection (CDC recommendation)

The Flu Shot

There are safe and effective vaccines to protect against the flu. They are particularly recommended for children with health problems that make it risky for them to get the flu. This includes children with the following:

• Heart disease 
• Lung disease, including asthma
• Immune problems, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection 
• Blood diseases
• Cancer
• Chronic kidney disease
• Metabolic diseases, such as diabetes
• Long-term aspirin therapy, such as with rheumatoid arthritis

Healthy children 6–23 months of age are recommended to get a flu shot each fall, as is everyone in the household of a child of this age. Your pediatrician can recommend what's best for your child.

For children younger than 9 years, the vaccine requires 2 immunizations or shots given 1 month apart the first year it's given. After that, only 1 dose is needed each year. The best time to get the flu vaccine is in October to early December before the flu season starts.

Because the strains of flu virus are different every year, a new flu vaccine is developed each year. The vaccine is made from killed flu viruses and helps the immune system fight the flu. Most children are immune within 2 weeks of getting the vaccine. Side effects usually are minor and include soreness at the site of the injection and a low-grade fever. The flu shot can't cause the flu.

Nasal spray flu vaccine

Scientists have developed a nasal spray flu vaccine. Unlike the flu vaccine given by injection, it's made from living but weakened (attenuated) flu viruses. Live attenuated influenza vaccine (trade name FluMist) is the first live-virus flu vaccine approved in the United States. It's approved only for healthy children 2 years and older (new for 2007), and shouldn't be given to children who have asthma.

Source: The Flu (Influenza) (Copyright © 2004 American Academy of Pediatrics, Updated 4/04)

For more information visit:

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/fluvaccine.htm

http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/swineflu.htm

http://www.flumist.com/

What Every Parent Should Know about Influenza (651 KB)

Flu Information