Why is getting vaccinated a way of loving your whole family?
Vaccinating children against the flu not only protects them from the virus, but also the rest of the family, especially the elderly and pregnant women.
During the autumn and winter months, we tend to spend less time outdoors than at other times of the year. The colder weather and fewer hours of sunlight mean that families often spend more time at each other's homes, places where children can enjoy the company of elderly relatives, aunts, uncles, and cousins, but also where viruses that cause colds and flu circulate more freely, often increasing the risk of infection. It is no coincidence, therefore, that year after year around this time there is a peak in viral infections such as the common cold, the flu, COVID-19, and bronchiolitis.
It's not just a simple cold
Annual flu vaccination for children between 6 and 59 months old has been included in the routine immunization schedule, as they are considered a vulnerable group. It is estimated that 4,000 children across the country are hospitalized each year due to the flu, highlighting the need to strengthen their immune systems. As the vaccination campaign a couple of years ago emphasized, "the best defense is a good offense," especially with a viral respiratory illness like the flu, which is easily transmitted from person to person through the air, causing symptoms such as high fever, dry cough, headache, and neck pain. In children—particularly those under five—it can also cause pneumonia, ear infections, bronchitis, and other complications that may require hospitalization and even lead to death.
The flu is not just a common cold; it can have complications that also affect other at-risk groups, such as people with chronic illnesses, those over 60, and pregnant women. Therefore, if children have a very close relationship with their grandparents or great-grandparents, the risk of infection should be reduced by vaccinating them as well, even if we think a healthy child poses no risk to those around them. The same would apply, for example, if the child's mother were pregnant. The vaccine, therefore, promotes safe family life.
Act of collective responsibility
Children are the population group with the most cases of flu, and they also transmit the virus for the longest period of time. Therefore, vaccinating them helps reduce the impact of transmission, not only within families but also in society as a whole. It's important to understand that anyone, even without underlying health conditions, can suffer from severe flu, and that families have the power to drastically reduce infections through vaccination.
Vaccination, therefore, is the most effective measure to prevent possible complications from the flu. It is a small gesture that we should all make during the autumn months, just before the start of the epidemic season, and it needs to be repeated every year because the flu virus mutates, requiring vaccines to be adapted each season to combat it. The need for annual vaccination is also explained by the fact that the antibodies our immune system produces against this virus decrease over time. Ultimately, the reduction in flu cases achieved through vaccination—and preventive measures such as ventilating spaces and washing hands frequently—also avoids visits to clinics and hospitals, and relieves pressure on the healthcare system, which benefits us all.
You can involve your children in the vaccination process by explaining that it's a small gesture to protect their bodies. You can use metaphors, such as the vaccine turning them into soldiers, warriors, or superheroes who fight disease. If you want to illustrate this, you can always look online or on a streaming platform for an episode ofOnce Upon a Timededicated to vaccines. There's even an episode ofTeothat talks about them. It's also important to be honest and explain that the injection will be a little uncomfortable, but very brief, and emphasize that vaccination is essential because the consequence of not getting vaccinated could be a serious illness. You'll need to adapt the message to the child's age and maturity, but they'll likely understand perfectly from the age of two.
It is necessary to vaccinate children between six months and four years of age (inclusive) against the flu, as well as those up to 18 years of age who are receiving long-term treatment with aspirin or who have risk factors, are immunocompromised, or reside in closed institutions. Between six months and two years of age, only the inactivated vaccine is available via intramuscular injection, and from two years of age onward, the live attenuated vaccine is available via nasal injection. In the first case, the most common side effects are swelling or pain at the injection site, fever, general malaise, or muscle pain, which usually disappear in less than 48 hours. While these side effects persist, a cold compress can be applied to the injection site, and fever reducers can be used to alleviate discomfort. The live attenuated vaccine, on the other hand, can also cause decreased appetite and nasal congestion.
To get vaccinated, make an appointment at My Health. Citasalud.gencat.cat or in your CAP.