Between August 1, 2004 and May 5, 2012, 829 children in the US died from the flu, according to a new study by researchers at the CDC. And a third of those kids died within three days after symptoms first appeared. Unfortunately, by then it’s often too late. The solution? Make sure your kids get a flu shot. Not getting one is putting their lives at risk.
“Many ill-advised and misinformed parents genuinely believe they are protecting their kids health by avoiding flu shots and other childhood vaccinations,” says Cheryl Martin, a spokesperson for the American Council on Science and Health, “but this study further supports what ACSH has long argued — the benefits of these immunizations far outweigh the risks.”
Of course, getting a flu shot is not an absolute guarantee that your kids will be protected. But it’s about as close as you can get. Another study, this one done in Los Angeles at the University of Southern California, found that in the 2010-2011 flu season, unvaccinated kids were more than three times more likely to develop the flu than those who had been vaccinated (5.5% vs. 1.8%).
