Fall is arguably many families’ favorite time of year as it ushers in the start of cooler weather fun and sports, cozy sweaters, bellies full of treats and quieter moments perfect for snuggling. But it’s also the time when respiratory illness like the flu can spike, making otherwise healthy, active families really sick. Should your family get flu shots this year? Read on to learn more.
No one wants the flu to ruin all the fall fun — or worse, derail the holiday traditions just around the corner. That’s why doctors across the nation, including the hometown experts at the University of Chicago Medicine and Comer Children’s, are urging families to make getting flu shots part of their yearly fall ritual, just like going to the pumpkin patch to pick out the perfect orange gourd or planning the Thanksgiving meal around grandma’s famous stuffing.
We checked in with a few experts at UChicago Medicine for advice to help you safeguard yourself and your children this year.
Why annual flu shots are important
It’s the age-old question lots of families wonder: Why do we have to get another flu shot?
“We have to get the vaccine every year because the flu virus is constantly changing. So, the flu strains in the vaccine are updated every year by the World Health Organization to ensure it includes inactive strains of the viruses that are predicted to circulate,” says Dr. Allison Bartlett, infectious disease expert and pediatrician at UChicago Medicine.
While scientists are working on a universal flu vaccine, there isn’t one yet, she says. “Until then, we have to get a vaccine every year.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends flu shots for everyone 6 months and older.
You should know the flu shot takes about two weeks to be fully effective against the flu. That’s one great reason to get it at the start of fall to carry you through the cold months when more people find themselves gathering indoors or for kids in day care or school where the respiratory illness can spread rapidly from a cough or sneeze or touching a contaminated surface, she says.
It’s especially important to get the flu shot early as soon as possible this year so the flu doesn’t bump up against any rise in COVID-19 cases, which could make it harder to get a flu shot scheduled or even to get in for treatment should you or your kids actually get the flu, Dr. Bartlett says.
“We don’t know when or if influenza will peak this year, nor do we know what impact COVID-19 will have on influenza trends. Nevertheless, it’s important to get the vaccine to prevent the flu,” she says.
Research shows that getting the flu vaccine can reduce influenza illnesses by 40% to 60%. And even if someone in your family still gets the flu after getting their vaccine, the symptoms will often be milder, Dr. Bartlett says.
What parents need to know about the flu and flu shots
Despite the benefits of getting an annual flu shot, doctors acknowledge flu shots aren’t without skeptics who spread myths about them.
The biggest one to know: You don’t get the flu from a flu shot, Dr. Bartlett says.
Flu shots contain an inactive form of the virus, while the nasal sprays do contain a weakened form of the virus, neither of which can cause the flu. The most common side effects from the vaccine are fever, headache and redness and soreness near the injection site. It’s just the body’s immune system hard at work, she says.
Anyone who has ever had the flu before already knows this: the flu can make kids (and their parents) really sick and miserable for a week or more, meaning they’ll miss out on school, activities and work. That’s why everyone in the family over 6 months old should get a flu shot, experts say.
What to watch for and how to prevent flu
Signs to watch for should someone in the family get the flu: a sudden fever above 100.4 degrees, body chills, headache and body aches, tiredness, dry, hacking cough, stuffy nose and some may even throw up or have diarrhea, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
If they do get the flu, make sure to give kids plenty of extra rest and lots of fluids, the AAP says.
Dr. Alison Tothy, a pediatrician at UChicago Medicine, suggests families also invest in an over-the-counter thermometer for the family and a rectal thermometer for infants to have on hand to monitor any possible fevers this season. Parents also should have on hand acetaminophen (commonly known as Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) to treat fever in doses recommended by your pediatrician, she says. Kids should never be given aspirin when sick due to the dangers of Reye syndrome.
Another myth: The flu is just a cold. It isn’t, Tothy says.
The flu can come with serious and sometimes deadly consequences. When kids get the flu, watch for the warning signs of an emergency, including trouble breathing or rapid breaths, blue-tinged lips, chest pain, dehydration, severe muscle pain, fever above 104 degrees and not being alert when awake, the AAP says.
Dr. Tothy’s biggest advice for parents to keep kids healthy this fall: “Practice good hand washing, call your pediatrician to prevent unnecessary trips to the doctor and get your flu shot!”
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