Why should you recommend influenza vaccination for young children?
In Australia, more children aged under 5 are hospitalised with influenza than any other vaccine preventable disease 1
The National Health and Medical Research Council (external site), , recommends annual vaccination for individuals 6 months or older who wish to reduce their chances of becoming ill with influenza.
Children with underlying medical conditions are at higher risk of severe illness and are eligible for a free influenza vaccine through the National Immunisation Program (external site).
Experience from Australia and overseas indicates that the majority of influenza-related paediatric hospitalisations and deaths occur among children without underlying medical conditions.
Influenza vaccine safety
AusVaxSafety (external site) is a network of GPs and clinics across Australia which allows parents/carers of children recently given a flu vaccine to report back on how their children felt after vaccination, to ensure vaccines registered for use in children are safe.
Real time vaccine safety data
Real time vaccine safety data can be accessed via the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (external site).
This rapid safety surveillance can provide reassurance to parents that the influenza vaccines used in children are safe. To learn more about the latest vaccine safety data visit National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (external site).
More information
References
Brotherton J, Wang H, Schaffer A, et al. Vaccine preventable diseases and vaccination coverage in Australia, 2003 to 2005. Communicable Diseases Intelligence 2007; 31(Suppl).