Vaccines help keep children and their schools safe
When children and their parents are vaccinated, it helps protect those who are at risk of getting seriously sick, Your child's healthcare provider can ensure they have all the vaccines they need to protect against serious diseases like measles, polio, chickenpox, flu, and COVID-19.
Before your child heads back to school or daycare, make sure they’re up to date on the vaccines they need and schedule a flu vaccine by the end of October
- All children 6 months and older need a flu vaccine every year. The flu can be serious, and even deadly for children.
- flu vaccination can reduce a child’s risk of admission into a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) by 74%.
- Among healthy children, flu vaccination reduces the risk of death from influenza by 65%.
- Among children with underlying high-risk medical conditions, flu vaccination reduces risk of death from influenza by 51%.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who needs a flu vaccine?
- Flu vaccination is recommended for everyone, every year.
- Flu vaccination starts at 6 months old and every year after that.
- Children under 9-years-old who are receiving their first-ever flu vaccine need two doses spaced out by one month.
- While everyone needs a flu vaccine every year, there are different types for different people. For example, a child may prefer a needle-free option and there are specific flu vaccines for people who are age 65 and older.
When can my family get vaccinated?
- CDC recommends that people get their annual flu vaccine by the end of October.
- It's still beneficial to get vaccinated after October and during the flu season.
- Receiving the flu vaccine after October (even as late as January) is still better than not receiving one at all. Flu infections and hospitalizations tend to peak in February each year. While getting vaccinated early (September) is ideal, getting vaccinated later in the season is still advisable
Where can my family get vaccinated?
- If you need help finding a place to get a flu vaccine, or if you're looking for a specific type (like the nasal mist, egg-free, etc), check out the Vaccine Finder.
Why should my family get vaccinated?
- It's not "just" the flu - it's a serious, but preventable, disease!
- When children and their parents are vaccinated, it helps protect those who are at risk of getting seriously sick
- These are challenging times, but vaccines help your child stay healthy and keep other children healthy
Download or order print materials:
Flu vs. COVID-19 vs Cold Symptoms
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Pediatric Poster
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