age to receive flu vaccine
However, as long as flu viruses are circulating, vaccination should continue throughout the flu season. Flu season usually peaks between December and February, but activity can last as late as May. Early immunization is the most effective, but it is not too late to get the vaccine in January or beyond. The flu vaccine is available by shot. Get your flu vaccine as soon as the vaccine is available in your area. It is especially important to get the vaccine if you, someone you live with, or someone you care for is at high risk of complications from the flu. Trivalent vaccines are available in: 1  Standard-dose trivalent shots (IIV3), approved for use in people six months and older. (Most flu shots are given with a needle. 2  High dose trivalent shot approved for people 65 years or older. 3  Recombinant trivalent shot that is egg-free, approved for people 18 years or older. Vaccination & Vaccine Safety. 1  The flu vaccine is available by shot. 2  Get your flu vaccine as soon as the vaccine is available in your area. 3  It is especially important to get the vaccine if you, someone you live with, or someone you care for is at high risk of complications from the flu. A: Children from 6 months to 8 years getting the flu vaccine for the first time need to get two doses in order to maximize having a good immune response. If it's your child's first time, she still needs two doses. Standard-dose trivalent shots (IIV3), approved for use in people six months and older. (Most flu shots are given with a needle. One flu vaccine also can be given with a jet injector, for persons 18 through 64 years old). High dose trivalent shot approved for people 65 years or older. Recombinant trivalent shot that is egg-free, approved for people 18 years or older. A trivalent flu shot made with adjuvant (an ingredient of a vaccine that helps create a stronger immune response in the patient’s body), approved for people 65 years of age and older (new this season). The flu vaccine is the best protection against the flu this season. Flu vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctor visits, and missed work and school due to flu, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations and deaths. Q: Are there any reasons why a child who's old enough should not get the flu vaccine? A: The main contraindication for the flu vaccine is a severe allergic reaction to anything that is in the flu vaccine. One rare possibility is egg allergy. Because all of the flu vaccines that are available in this country are manufactured through a process that uses chicken eggs, the vaccine is likely to have a trace quantity of egg protein left in it. Quadrivalent vaccines are approved for different age groups,and include: 1  An intradermal quadrivalent flu shot, which is injected into the skin instead of the muscle and uses a much smaller needle than the regular flu shot. It is approved for people 18 through 64 years of age. For everyone aged 6 months and up, the annual flu vaccine is the best way that we have available to protect against complications. Q: Is it really necessary to vaccinate my child this year if she received a flu shot last year? A: The flu vaccine has three or four different vaccine virus strains in it. In a typical season, at least one of those strains will change. Also, we know from a number of studies that the antibody response to the vaccine tends to decline over time, so that’s why it’s important to get a flu vaccine every year.
Children from 6 months to 8 years can get the flu vaccine.