Since the flu can be spread to others before symptoms even surface,⁷ it is no wonder that a high incidence of flu exists among school-aged children who spend a lot of time in close contact with friends and classmates.¹⁰ Even though children experience such high flu infection and illness rates, only one-third of the eight million infants and children in the United States who should receive the flu vaccine each year actually do, according to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.²⁰ Every year, children miss about 38 million school days because of the flu.¹⁴ This statistic is alarming, particularly since flu vaccination is 60 to 90 percent effective in children.⁶ Although flu vaccines are not 100 percent effective, they are an easy way to help stop the spread of flu.⁷ (Click here to download an information sheet about the impact influenza may have on children.)

But the flu not only affects children — it can also affect those in close contact with them, including teachers, parents and siblings.^{10, 11} In fact, anyone not protected against the flu can quickly catch the illness from a sick person. To help fight this virus, some experts believe it might be a good idea to vaccinate healthy children against the flu not only to protect them, but also to help reduce the risk of spreading the flu to family members and others around them.²¹

Because everyone is at risk for being infected with the influenza virus and can spread the disease to others, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) supports influenza vaccination for a variety of people, including anyone who wishes to reduce the chance of getting influenza. In addition, in 2006 the ACIP expanded its influenza vaccination recommendations to include all children 6 to 59 months of age and household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children aged 6 to 59 months. Children and adults that are household contacts of other high-risk individuals (those with high-risk medical conditions, the elderly, etc.) are also specifically recommended to get vaccinated against the flu. However, Families Fighting Flu believes that everyone wishing to be vaccinated against the flu should be vaccinated, and that it is particularly important to vaccinate children.

Interestingly, Japan created a law roughly 20 years ago that was similar to these CDC recommendations — but took them a step further.²¹ Between 1960 and 1980, the Japanese government required all school-aged children to get flu vaccinations.²¹ When these vaccinations were required, death rates among older people were reduced significantly, presumably because they were not getting the flu from the school-aged children.²¹ But as soon as the vaccination program for children was stopped, that trend was reversed.²¹ As you can see, vaccinating all close contacts remains an important part of flu prevention.