Each year, on average, more than 200,000 people are hospitalized and nearly 36,000 die in the U.S. from flu-related complications. More than 20,000 children younger than age five are hospitalized due to seasonal influenza, and those numbers are increasing this year due to the H1N1 influenza outbreak. Because the flu may be particularly severe in children, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has designated Jan. 13 as Children’s Vaccination Day.
This past September, Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center in Memphis experienced an influx of patients due to the H1N1 flu outbreak. According to Le Bonheur infectious disease doctors, since this past September, H1N1 flu numbers have decreased significantly, in part because parents have chosen to vaccinate their children. Le Bonheur hopes to see the same decrease in seasonal flu numbers this year.
Le Bonheur Children’s, along with the CDC, strongly encourages parents to have their children vaccinated against both the seasonal and the H1N1 flu strains. Vaccination is still the best prevention for contracting the virus.
Parents should contact their healthcare provider, local health department, or area pharmacies for information on vaccine administration.
