Children's health: Not too late for a flu shot

[M_Smith]

Children's health: Not too late for a flu shot
[SIZE=-1] The recent death of a 12-year-old Boston boy from the flu has spurred a rush for vaccines in the area, the Boston Globe reported last week. The boy, Hunter Pope, had not been vaccinated, according to the Globe, but it's not yet known if the vaccine would have protected against the strain of the flu that led to his unfortunate death.

Generally, people who get the flu shot reduce their risk of flu by roughly 20 to 90 percent, depending on their age and overall health, as well as how well the vaccine matches that season's flu viruses. The vaccine can also reduce the severity of symptoms in people who do get the* disease.
The CDC broadened its recommendations for the flu vaccine for this flu season to include all children from six months to 18 years. But, as we've reported in the past, too few vulnerable adolescents get the flu shot. In fact, we found in our survey that nearly half of all Americans were planning to skip a flu shot this year, and parents who don't get vaccinated, rarely get shots for their kids.
Read the rest of this post on our Health blog, and see our children's health section for more information.
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