Why Your Child Needs Their Flu Shot ASAP (and Maybe a Second Shot, Too): A Note From Our Physician-in-Chief

This is a hectic back-to-school season for many families – but don’t be tempted to put off your child’s flu shot. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it’s important to get kids vaccinated for the flu as soon as possible.

Physician-in-Chief Juan Salazar, MD, MPH shares why you should call your child’s pediatrician today to schedule.

This year, kids should get their flu shot as soon as possible.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children get vaccinated for the flu in September or October. Because of the pandemic, I recommend aiming for September.

Right now, the rate of infection for coronavirus is still low, so it’s very safe to go into a doctor’s office.
Flu season starts as early as October – but it takes a few weeks for a vaccine to do its work in the body to create immunity. By getting a flu shot in September, your child’s immune defenses can be in place before the flu becomes widespread in the community.
The CDC does not anticipate any flu shot shortages this year, but pediatricians’ schedules fill up quickly. Plan ahead to make sure your child gets vaccinated before their doctor’s calendar is full.

> Call your child’s pediatrician now to schedule, or book a visit with our Division of Primary Care.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s more important than ever to get flu shots.

When we get sick with one virus, our immune systems are weakened, and it puts us at a higher risk of catching another virus. That means that this year, there’s a risk of getting both the flu and coronavirus.

If your child catches COVID-19 and has not had their flu shot, they may wind up sick with both illnesses at once. On the other hand, if your child has had their flu vaccine, they’re much less likely to catch the flu – and because they’ll be healthier overall, they’ll also be less likely to catch COVID-19.
There’s a bigger picture here: By preventing a major flu outbreak, we free up hospital beds and staff to care for coronavirus cases if there’s a surge. So we need to take every safety measure to keep ourselves and the people around us healthy. That means getting a flu vaccine to minimize the risk of flu, and (while we wait for a COVID-19 vaccine) wearing a mask and social distancing to minimize the risk of coronavirus.

Kids (and adults) should get a flu vaccination every year.

Vaccines become less effective over time, so the shot your child got last year will no longer do a good job protecting them.
There are often several different versions of the flu going around, and last year’s shot may not cover all of them. This year’s vaccine covers four flu strains, and three of the four strains were not in last year’s flu vaccine.

Some kids will need a second vaccination, or a booster shot.

Your pediatrician will know your child’s individual needs. Here are some of the reasons your child might need a second vaccination – either weeks or months after their first flu shot.

It’s their first flu shot, and they’re under age 8: Children typically receive their first flu shot when they’re about 6 months old, but even if your child is up to age 8 and it’s their first time, they’ll need a second dose about four weeks later. This is because young kids’ immune systems don’t respond as strongly to vaccines as older kids and adults. The first flu shot “primes” their immune system, and the second shot helps it actually develop the antibodies it needs to fight off the virus. (For the same reason, if your child is under age 8 and only previously gotten one dose of flu vaccines, they should get two doses of vaccine.)
Immunocompromised: The immune system’s response to a vaccine wears off with time. For kids with a typical immune system, this isn’t a problem: A flu shot in September will get them through all of flu season, as late as April or May. But a child who is immunocompromised (whose immune system is weakened, either by a disease or a medication) will need a booster shot, probably around January, to ensure their immune system is protected through the end of flu season. Talk to your child’s doctor to decide the right plan.

When you schedule your child’s flu vaccination, catch up on their other health needs.

The rate of COVID-19 community spread is very low right now in Connecticut, but we don’t know what will happen in the next weeks or months. Use this time to catch up on your child’s doctor’s appointments, while it’s relatively safe to be out and about.

Schedule a well visit with their pediatrician.
Schedule any specialty care you’ve been putting off – in many cases, you can connect with our pediatric experts right from home via Video Visit.
If your child needs medical attention, don’t wait. Our Emergency Department is open and safe.

For more information and advice, call our Pediatric COVID-19 Hotline any time.

Questions about coronavirus and your child? Call our 24-hour Pediatric COVID-19 Hotline at 833.226.2362 to speak to one of our clinicians.

We’re here to help, any day, any time.

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Juan C. Salazar, MD, MPH, FAAP

Juan Carlos Salazar, MD, MPH, is Professor and Chair of Pediatrics at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and Executive Vice President and Physician-in-Chief at Connecticut Children’s.

In addition to serving in these roles, Dr. Salazar has led the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology at Connecticut Children’s and has been nationally and internationally recognized for both his outstanding clinical care and his innovative research work. Dr. Salazar has received several National Institutes of Health grants to study the human innate immune response to Borrelia burgdorferi and Treponema pallidum, the causative agents of Lyme disease and syphilis respectively. He is currently funded by the NIH to develop a first of its kind syphilis vaccine. The NIH funded U-19 project includes investigators in China, Malawi, Colombia and the US. Most recently his team received funding from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to study the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and the multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a rare but serious condition associated with COVID-19. He has published over 100 peer reviewed articles and book chapters and has served in multiple scientific review panels at the NIH.

Dr. Salazar also directs the Pediatric and Youth HIV program at the Medical Center. His team has promoted and facilitated regional STD and HIV-prevention programs for at-risk high school youth. Dr. Salazar is the current recipient of Ryan White Care Act federal funding to coordinate and provide statewide HIV treatment and prevention services for women, infants, children and youth. He has conducted several NIH and pharmaceutical industry sponsored pediatric and adolescent HIV clinical trials and long-term follow-up studies.

He received his medical degree from the Universidad Javeriana, in Bogota, Colombia, and his MPH from the University of Minnesota. He completed a residency in Pediatrics at the University of Connecticut Health Center, where he also served as chief resident, and a post-doctoral fellowship in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Minnesota. He is board certified in both Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Diseases.