In October, this season's flu campaign will begin, and the first group to be vaccinated they are children from six months of age, and adolescents in certain situations, and with underlying diseases. You can consult the recommendations of the Vaccine Aseor Committee of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics for the 2013/2014 campaign of vaccination against seasonal flu in minors.
This vaccination is also recommended for adults who are in contact with children and adolescents included in risk groups. That is to say parents, relatives, caregivers, teachers, etc. On the other hand The family environment should be protected if you live with infants under six months who have risk factors, since these - by age - cannot receive the vaccine, and it would be dangerous for caregivers to contract the disease.
In practice it is estimated that only between 20 and 40% of children with chronic diseases are vaccinated against influenza, although there are differences according to the pathologies and, of course, exceptions depending on the centers. In general, children who achieve better coverage are immunocompromised, oncological, diabetic and cardiac patients; while, paradoxically, it is those who suffer from respiratory diseases who least comply with this preventive measure
Patterns to modify have been detected in children with chronic diseases: the older they are, the less they get vaccinated, and on the other hand, less than 10% of the people who live with them are protected by vaccination.
Notably Children are the main source of spread of influenza virus in the community (family and school), because they eliminate a greater viral load, and for longer than adults. In fact, the highest incidence rates are registered in children under 15 years old, and one in 1000 cases of influenza in healthy children under five years of age ends up in hospitalization.
Although the flu virus and vaccines are the same for children and adults, pediatricians recommend that those children under nine who have not previously been vaccinated against the flu, immunization is done with two doses, separated by at least four weeks. In any case both doses must be received before the onset of influenza activity, since the protection is greater when both are administered during the same flu season.
All risk groups
According to information from the Ministry of Health, vaccines are free for people included in the recommended population groups:
Age 65 or older, especially those living in closed institutions.
Children under 65 presenting high risk of complications from the flu: children over six months and adults with chronic cardiovascular or pulmonary diseases.
Children and adults over six months with metabolic diseases, morbid obesity, renal insufficiency, hemoglobinopathies and anemias, asplenia, chronic liver disease, severe neuromuscular diseases or immunosuppression, cancer, cooking implant, situations that lead to cognitive dysfunction (such as Down syndrome).
Residents in closed institutions of any age from six months, suffering from chronic processes.
Children and adolescents (six months to 18 years) receiving prolonged treatment with acetylsalicylic acid (because they can develop Reye's syndrome after the flu).
Pregnant women in any trimester of pregnancy.
People who can transmit the disease to those at risk of complications.
Groups of people working in essential public services.
As the above information is a bit long, for short, we must remember that minors with basic pathologies such as Immunodeficiencies, oncological, cardiac, neurological, renal, hematological, respiratory, and diabetes diseases, among others, are priority groups for immunization against the influenza virus.
