babble » blogs » Strollerderby
Strollerderby
They Say – Flu Shots May Be Safe for Youngest Babies
Standing in line for the H1N1 shot last fall were parents, grandparents, and other caretakers of newborn infants.
Because there is no flu shot — H1N1 or seasonal — approved for infants under six months, and because infants are at high risk for complications if they do catch the flu, the next best thing is making sure that everyone around the infant is vaccinated.
But a new study out of the University of Washington, Seattle suggests that seasonal flu vaccines may be safely used in infants as young as six weeks old.
HealthDay reports that a group of 1,375 babies were given either a seasonal flu shot, which protects against three strains of the flu, or a placebo. Adverse reactions to the shot were rare, and about 1 in 10 babies in both groups developed a mild fever in the days following the shot. About half of the babies developed an immunological response to one of the three flu viruses.
Though more studies are needed, these findings could eventually lead to the recommendation that young infants get a flu shot as part of their regular vaccination schedule.
But would parents go for it? Despite the fact that H1N1 caused a dramatic increase in pediatric flu deaths in 2009, response to the vaccine has been ambivalent at best.
Would you consider adding the seasonal flu shot to your infant’s vaccination schedule?
Photo: abbybatchelder, Flickr
More by this author:
Survey Says – Moms Say Affairs Make them Late for School
They Say: Should Obesity Be a Factor in IVF?
Pregnant Woman Ordered to Stay at Hospital Against Her Will
Italian Dad Ordered to Pay Adult Daughter Allowance
Go Back To Strollerderby
2 Comments
JCF commented on Feb 14 10 at 1:35 pmAbsolutely not.
Marj commented on Feb 16 10 at 1:47 amMy babies just turned six months old and they both got H1N1 and seasonal flu shots and will continue to get them.
Add your take:
Note: Babble is a supportive, diverse community. We encourage a range of opinions,
but any unduly hostile comments will be removed.
Comments are delayed up to 15 minutes
Joslyn Gray 
Amber Doty 
Julianna Miner 
Monica Bielanko 
Sierra Black 
Meredith Carroll 
Carolyn Castiglia 
Sunny Chanel 
Madeline Holler 
Wendy Michaels 
Rebecca Odes 
Danielle Smith 
Danielle Sullivan 
Katherine Stone 
The Walt Disney Company supports Babble as a platform dedicated to honest, engaged, informed, intelligent and open conversation about parenting. However, the opinions expressed on this site are those of individual parents/writers and do not reflect the views of Disney. In addition, content provided on this site is for entertainment or informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or safety advice.
2