Flu season is quickly approaching which means parents are prepping for some unhappy kids as, once again, the FluMist is being tossed aside in favor of the flu shot.
Last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics stopped recommending the nasal spray saying it was barely effective at preventing the virus. Experts are doubling down on that stance by telling families to stay away from the spray again this year.
Norton Healthcare and Norton Children’s doctors aren’t carrying the mist this year, but they do have shots available for patients 6 months and older. Doctors said the shot is the best way to prevent the flu, which infects up to 20 percent of the local population every year.
Just because a child is scared of shots, it’s not a reason to skip the vaccine. Experts recommend that parents should just be honest that the shot will hurt but, only briefly.
The flu vaccine is recommended for the following people:
Children 6 months and older
Pregnant women
People age 65 and older
People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
Residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:
Health care workers
Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu
Household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children younger than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)
Methods of preventing the flu include washing hands often with soap and water for 15 to 20 seconds or by using alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers, avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth, avoiding close contact with people who are sick and staying home from work, school and running errands if possible when sick.
Source: WAVE
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