Flu activity is usually unpredictable but in the U.S. the peak of flu cases is reported during January and February. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that flu activity can begin as early as October and occur until May.
The CDC recommends nasal spray flu vaccine for children between the age of 2 and 8 years.
The center suggests that each year thousands of children get sick due to flu and children under the age of 5 years are also at a high risk of developing flu-related complications. The health agency recommends that all children over 6 months should get the flu vaccine on an annual basis as it is the best way to avoid the infection.
The flu vaccines are available in shots as well as in nasal sprays; both of them protect children from flu. Nasal sprays may work better in younger children. The CDC recommends that children from 2 to 8 years should get nasal spray vaccine for flu.
"Recent studies suggest that the nasal spray flu vaccine may work better than the flu shot in younger children. Specifically in these studies, the nasal spray flu vaccine prevented about 50 percent more cases of flu than the flu shot in younger children," reported CDC.
Even though the CDC recommends nasal spray flu vaccine for younger children, other people up to 49 years old can also opt for nasal spray vaccine. However, the nasal spray is not recommended for pregnant women.
The CDC reaffirms that it is very important for people to get flu vaccination. Around 24,000 Americans die each year due to flu. Around 100 children died of flu in 2013 and only some of them are believed to have other medical conditions. Parents should understand that even their healthy children should get flu vaccination to avoid any flu-related complications in later life. CDC reveals that a high percentage of children who died due to flu-related complications in previous years were not vaccinated for flu.
Many children as well as adults are believed to have ignored flu shot vaccination due to the fear of needles. However, nasal sprays are an alternative, which can attract more people to get the vaccine.
The nasal spray flu vaccine may have some side effects, such as fever, runny nose, wheezing, headache, vomiting and muscle aches, but these effects are not very long lasting.
Visit the CDC website to get full details about the nasal spray flu vaccine.
