Flu Vaccine: Expert Explains Why Healthy Children Need Protection
Translated & summarized from Hamal by baba
Professor Michal Stein of Sheba Medical Center explains that influenza can cause severe illness and complications even in healthy children, necessitating annual vaccination. The flu vaccine, effective against severe illness and hospitalization, requires annual updates due to viral mutations and waning immunity. Children are key spreaders of the virus, making their vaccination important for community protection. Alternative nasal spray vaccines are available, and Professor Stein advises consulting reliable health sources over social media for vaccination decisions.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Influenza can cause severe illness and complications in healthy children, not just the elderly or sick.
- Annual flu vaccination is recommended to reduce the risk of severe illness and hospitalization.
- Children are significant spreaders of the flu virus, making their vaccination crucial for community protection.
- The flu virus mutates annually, requiring updated vaccines and yearly re-vaccination.
- Nasal spray flu vaccines are available as an alternative to injections for many individuals.
- Rely on official health sources, not social media, for accurate vaccination information.
As winter approaches, Professor Michal Stein, Director of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Unit at Safra Children's Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, emphasizes that influenza is not just a mild winter illness but can lead to severe complications and even be life-threatening, even for healthy children. She clarifies that influenza is distinct from common colds, characterized by a sudden onset and more severe symptoms, with a high risk of complications like pneumonia, brain inflammation, and heart inflammation.
While certain groups like the elderly, young children, pregnant women, and those with pre-existing conditions are at higher risk, Professor Stein stresses that healthy individuals are not immune to severe flu outcomes. She notes that most hospitalized children with severe flu had no prior medical conditions, and a child's prior health does not guarantee a mild illness.
The annual flu vaccine is a primary method to reduce the risk of severe illness and hospitalization, with an effectiveness of about 50% against significant illness and 60% against hospitalization. This means the vaccine halves the risk of these outcomes, not that it protects only half the vaccinated population.
Annual vaccination is necessary because the influenza virus constantly mutates, requiring updated vaccine formulations each season. Additionally, vaccine-induced immunity wanes over time. Professor Stein advises getting vaccinated before the flu season peaks, as it takes 10-14 days for immunity to develop, but notes that vaccination is still beneficial as long as the virus is circulating.
Vaccinating children is crucial not only for their protection but also for preventing the spread of the virus to vulnerable family members, including grandparents, pregnant women, and infants too young to be vaccinated. Children are considered major vectors for flu transmission. For those fearful of needles, a nasal spray vaccine is available for individuals aged two to 49, offering similar efficacy and safety to the injectable form.
Professor Stein debunks the myth that vaccines cause the flu, explaining that the injectable vaccine contains inactivated virus, and the nasal spray vaccine, while live-attenuated, does not cause seasonal flu in individuals with healthy immune systems, though it may cause mild nasal symptoms. She urges the public to rely on credible sources like the Ministry of Health and health maintenance organizations for information, rather than social media posts, and recommends getting vaccinated proactively before the flu season begins.
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