Tag Archives: influenza virus

Toddlers and the Flu Vaccine

Every parent, who has children under the age of five, quickly discovers that little kids are “germ spreaders.” One cannot be too surprised by this revelation. Toddlers, for example, tend to put things into their mouths, to pick their noses, and to strongly resists all parental attempts to wash their little faces and hands. As such, it is recommended that toddlers receive the flu vaccine. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that the LAIV (live attenuated influenza vaccine) be given to children ages 2 through 8 years old. In addition, they recommend that kids between age 2 … Continue reading →

Updating the Flu Shot

The flu vaccine is new every year. The influenza virus evolves quickly, and the vaccine has to change every year to keep up. This year’s flu shot is getting some attention in the news lately. It seems like the flu shot did well protecting people for the first part of the flu season, but now cases of influenza are on the rise. Why? Because the strains that are very active this year aren’t strains that were covered in the 2008 flu shot. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control say that only about forty percent of the people who got vaccinated … Continue reading →