Flu Vaccine OK For Babies And Toddlers

The flu vaccine is safe for babies and toddlers aged 6 to 23 months, say researchers from Kaiser Permanente. After looking at data on 45,000 babies and toddlers throughout the USA, the researchers found very few cases of side effects that led to medical treatments. You can read about this study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Dr. Simon J. Hambidge, study leader, said that as a parent as well as a pediatrician, it was reassuring how few diagnoses there were that were linked to flu shots. Approximately 200,000 people are hospitalized in the USA as a result of flu complications. Estimates place the total number of flu related deaths in the USA each year at 36,000. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that children under five, pregnant women, men and women over 50, those living in nursing homes, and patients with diabetes, lung disease and HIV/AIDS , receive a flu vaccine each year.

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