Flu and asthma facts

Image Source

Do you or your child have asthma or other lung disease? If so, you and/or your child are at high risk for developing a severe asthma flare up, pneumonia and other complications if you get the flu, as the infection with the Influenza virus is called. Fortunately, there is a way to protect your entire family from the flu, by receiving the flu vaccine. The flu vaccine has shown to reduce the chance of getting sick if you are exposed to this virus. More than that, for those at high risk, including children with asthma, this one vaccine could help prevent a hospitalization.

Below are some flu and asthma facts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP):

• Everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu vaccine every season, especially people at high risk.
• Asthma patients are at a high risk to suffer serious medical complications due to infection with the flu virus.
• A flu shot is the best way to reduce your chances of getting the flu and spreading it to others. Vaccinating your child also protects people around them (like grandparents, babies or anyone with long-term health problems) who are more vulnerable to flu
• Although the flu shot might not protect against every flu strain, the vaccination can help lessen the severity of the flu and keep asthma patients from potentially getting sicker.
• It is unusual that the flu vaccine makes someone ill. Flu vaccines are among the safest medical products in use. Hundreds of millions of Americans have safely received flu vaccines over the past 50 years, and there has been extensive research supporting the safety of flu vaccines.
• Each year, flu vaccines protect against the most common flu viruses expected during the upcoming season. Traditional flu vaccines are made to protect against either 3 flu viruses (called “trivalent” vaccines) or 4 flu viruses (called “quadrivalent” vaccines). Quadrivalent vaccines protect against the same 3 viruses as the trivalent vaccine plus an extra B virus. There is no preference for one vaccine over another among the licensed and recommended flu vaccines this season.

Ask your doctor for the flu shot today!

If you’re interested in finding your nearest Texas Children’s Pediatrics location, click here.