Flu shots urged for all kids

Local doctors endorse revised U.S. guidelines that for the first time add children 5 to 18.

Lancaster New Era

Published: Sep 09, 2008
11:25 EST

Lancaster

By CHAD UMBLE, Staff

As September moves into its second week, students are now settled back in school for another year of reading, writing and arithmetic.

And with September also marking when officials recommend vaccinations, students will soon resume their roles as germ spreaders.

The close quarters of schools combined with the sometimes lax cleanliness of kids — think uncovered sneezes and nose picking — make classrooms an ideal incubator for germs during flu season.

With several new studies showing that school-age children are the biggest culprits for spreading the respiratory virus, the government is now recommending the flu vaccine for all children ages 6 months to 18 years old.

Previously, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had recommended the vaccines only for children under 5 years old.

"What we know about how flu enters a community is that it is actually through the kids," said Joseph Irwin, a family practice doctor at Trout Run Family Practice in Ephrata.

"We might actually get more benefit to a community by going more after the kids," he said.

Every year, flu causes some 36,000 deaths and 226,000 hospitalizations, with people older than 65 and younger than 2 being most at risk, according to the CDC.

Outbreaks of the flu typically peak in December and January, but can begin as early as October and occur as late as April.

While older children don't get as sick from the flu as younger ones, the virus can still prove fatal. In March, a fifth-grader at Hambright Elementary School died from complications from the flu.

The CDC's call this year for more vaccinations was prompted by new findings that children are a major source of flu in communities. And, its advisory committee said, getting more children vaccinated can reduce infection rates for everyone.

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WHO SHOULD GET FLU VACCINE?
• NEW: Children ages 5 to 18
• Children ages 6 months to 5 years.
• Adults 50 and older.
• People with certain lung, heart or other chronic disorders, or a weak immune system.
• Women who will be pregnant during flu season.
• Nursing home residents.
• Health care workers and caregivers of people at risk.

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Even if they don't get as sick themselves, older children and teenagers can still make others sick.

"They're the impetus for the whole family getting sick, in many cases," said Stephen Rittenhouse, a family physician at Susquehanna Family Health Center in Marietta.

Rittenhouse said the new CDC recommendations seemed to be part of a trend toward more flu shots in general.

"It is a progression toward basically saying, 'Gee, everyone should probably get the flu shot,'" he said.

Yet Rittenhouse added that since many older children and teenagers don't visit the doctor that often, it may be hard to get them in for a flu shot.

"It is going to be a difficult message to get out," Rittenhouse said.

Local doctors and hospital officials said that with the expanded recommendations for flu vaccines, suppliers have stepped up production and they don't expect a repeat this year of flu-shot shortages that hit during the 2004-05 flu season.

The flu shot usually costs less than $30, with discounted ones available. A flu mist, which can be used for healthy people ages 2 to 49, costs around $60 to $70.


Staff writer Chad Umble can be reached at cumble@LNPnews.com or 481-6031.