The holiday season is now upon us. With all of the hustle and bustle this time of year, it’s hard to keep track of everything you have to do. However, getting your family immunized for the influenza season should be at the top of your list.

It’s important to get vaccinated every year because of the constant changes in the influenza virus. This recommendation comes from medical organizations across the country, including the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). It is also most likely recommended and provided by your family physician.

Yearly influenza immunizations protect against the three most common strains of the virus that are predicted that year. This year’s vaccine contains the same H1N1 influenza strain that occurred last year, along with two new strains.

This is the first year that influenza immunization is recommended for everyone over six months of age, with very few exceptions. For children younger than six months, the greatest protection that a parent can provide against influenza is to immunize everyone who cares for their baby.

Please keep in mind that if you or your child received the vaccine last year, you still need to be re-immunized for this season. There are two different ways to protect yourself. The first is the traditional “flu shot.” I want to stress that you can not get the flu this way, as it is a killed vaccine and not a live one. Your body may have an immune response to it, but rest assured it is not the flu. The second way is a nasal spray which may cause cold-like symptoms for a few days. These minor side effects (which happen in less than 10% of people immunized) pale in comparison to actually catching the flu.

Although good hygiene practice is always helpful in reducing the spread of illness, the fact remains that the more people who are immunized within a “community,” the less likely it is that it will spread. This holds true whether the community is a family, a school, a city or even a country.

Everyone in the medical profession understands that the decision to get immunized is a personal one. It should be discussed seriously by your family and with your doctor. Either way, I encourage you take the recommendations of the experts into consideration. This is because I vividly remember our office last year, when I saw hundreds of children, teens and parents who caught one of the influenza strains. In fact, many had to be hospitalized for several days. All of those parents told me later that they wished they had their child and themselves immunized.

If you have questions or concerns about influenza, visit reliable websites like www.cdc.gov or www.aap.org. Most importantly though, talk to your family physician. If you have questions or would like to make a suggestion for a future topic, please send an email to DrCampbell@learningcaregroup.com.

Wishing everyone a safe, joyous and healthy holiday season!

Dr. Doug

Dr. James Douglas Campbell, MD, FAAP, MHA, LLC, is a pediatric health professional who advises Childtime on the needs of our program as a whole, and provides consultation and technical assistance on child health issues. Dr. Campbell received his Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Florida and a Masters of Health Administration from the University of North Florida College of Health. He is Board Certified with the American Board of Pediatrics and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He has been taking care of children in Jacksonville, Florida since 1981.