The FluMist intranasal influenza vaccine and the injectable flu vaccine for all ages are now available and in stock in our office.. This year’s flu vaccines, the FluMist and the injectable influenza vaccine, provide protection against both seasonal flu and the 2009 H1N1 influenza strain.
All children ages 6 months and older should receive the influenza vaccine. Individuals 24 months of age and older who are not immunosuppressed, and do not have moderate to severe asthma, may receive FluMist. Please note that children ages 2 – 4 years who have had any episode of wheezing or been diagnosed with asthma in the past year should NOT get the FluMist, and can receive the injectable flu vaccine instead.
The antibodies created by FluMist last one year, so that children and adolescents who are eligible may begin receiving the FluMist at this time.
Children ages 6 months to 23 months, and children of any age with chronic medical conditions such as moderate to severe asthma or immunosuppression, need to get the injectable vaccine. Children ages 2-4 years who have had wheezing or been diagnosed with asthma in the past year should also get the injectable vaccine.
How Many Doses of Flu Vaccine Does My Child Need?
Children between six months of age and less than nine years of age will need two doses of the flu vaccine, whether it is the Flu Mist or the injectable flu vaccine, given at least one month apart if any of the following conditions apply:
Your child did not receive at least one dose of the H1N1 vaccine last year. Even if your child received the seasonal flu vaccine last year or in previous years, but did not get at least one dose of H1N1 vaccine, he or she should receive two doses of this year’s flu vaccine.
- Your child has never received a flu vaccine before.
- Your child received seasonal vaccine for the first time in 2009–10 but only received 1 dose.
- Your child’s vaccine status is unknown.
- (Children in the six months to less than nine years of age group who received at least one dose of the 2009 H1N1 vaccine need only one dose of the 2010-2011 vaccine as long as they received two doses of seasonal flu vaccine in the past.)
Children nine years of age or older, including adolescents, only need one dose of flu vaccine, whether it is the FluMist or the injectable vaccine.
Please Note: Any individual who is egg allergic should not get any form of the flu vaccine.
How can my child get the Flu Vaccine?
He or she can receive the Flu Mist or injectable flu vaccine a their annual checkup beginning now, or you can call for an appointment for your child to receive either flu vaccine during regular office hours. We will also be giving the injectable flu vaccine during convenient walk-in flu clinics – Willows Pediatrics Injectable Flu Vaccine Schedule
Please note the new state requirements for flu vaccine for Day Care
All children 6-59 months in Group Day Care and Family Day Care centers are required to receive at least one dose of flu vacccine between September 1 and December 1 of the preceding year. Please click back to our main news section to see the report with more details.