I have partnered with The Motherhood to bring you this sponsored post. All opinions are my own and may differ from yours.
August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM), and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wants parents to know that the best way to protect yourself from getting the flu is to get the flu vaccine.
Every year before school begins I get my vaccine. With over 1,100 students at my school it is very important to protect myself from all of the sneezing and coughing kiddos. At home we teach the importance of hygiene. We have trained our boys how to properly wash their hands, while singing the ABC song, and how to cover up their sneezes using the crook of the arm instead of using their hands.
Did you know that the flu vaccine is recommended for everyone 6 months old and older? Well, you can test your knowledge out at the CDC site here. I would highly recommend taking the quiz.
Here is some great information concerning the flu and how it relates to parents and to women who are pregnant:
Parents
- To protect against the flu, the first and most important thing you can do is to get a flu vaccine for yourself and your child.
- Ask your child’s doctor when they expect flu vaccines to be available in their office, and schedule an appointment for flu vaccination.
- It’s especially important that young children and children with long-term health conditions (like asthma, diabetes or disorders of the brain or nervous system) get vaccinated. These children are at higher risk of serious flu complications (like pneumonia) if they get the flu.
- The flu can be very dangerous for children. Each year about 20,000 children younger than 5 years old are hospitalized from flu complications, like pneumonia.
- CDC recommends a three-step approach to fighting the flu: annual vaccination, everyday preventive actions, and use of antiviral drugs to treat flu, if your doctor prescribes them.
- Visit the CDC site for more helpful information.
Pregnant Women
- Flu is more likely to cause severe illness in pregnant women than in women who are not pregnant.
- Millions of pregnant women have safely received flu shots for many years.
- Babies younger than 6 months of age are too young to get a flu vaccine. To protect these babies from getting the flu, their mothers should get the flu shot during pregnancy.
- A flu shot during pregnancy protects both mom and baby (up to 6 months of age) from flu.
- Pregnant women can safely receive a flu shot during any trimester of pregnancy.
- People have several options in terms of where they can get vaccinated and the type of influenza vaccine to choose (The nasal spray vaccine should not be given to women who are pregnant.). Click this map to find locations offering flu vaccines near you.
Check out this quick video about families and the flu:
Does your family get annual flu shots?
Pepper Tan says
Forewarned is definitely forearmed. Getting the flu is such a drag, and it worries me sick whenever my daughter’s ill. If we take the necessary precautions to keep our family in good health, that’ll spare us a lot of distress. Thanks for the reminder.
lifebycynthia says
I didn’t get one last year but am considering it this year. Being sick with the flu is the worst.
Jennifer @ The Quirky Momma says
I get this vaccine for my kids every year, I usually get it, too. I have a seriously compromised immune system so my doctor strongly insists that I always have all available vaccines.
Christy Garrett @ Uplifting Families says
I usually get the flu shot for my kids because I can get theirs done for free. I had the flu a few years ago and I felt awful.
Columba Lisa Smith says
I get it for my kids every year. Thanks for the reminder! My middle son has type 1 diabetes. I think it developed from a severe flu we all had a few years before he was diagnosed. That is one theory for how type 1 diabetes develops; the immune system gets confused by the flu and begins killing off the beta cells in the pancreas. I didn’t used to get the shot, didn’t really know much about it and I thought flu was no biggie. I didn’t realize how serious it can be. The winter we all had it was just terrible.
Janet W. says
My whole family will definitely get the vaccine this year, especially my grandsons now that one of them is in preschool. Better safe than sorry!!
Michelle says
Did not know all of this, thank you for all the info, we will probably consider it now
sandyvanhoey says
We get them every year for my grandson and now they give at school and I make my appt. to get one as well.
Roz K. Walker says
I got the flu a few years ago and it was horrible. I definitely take precautions to keep my kids healthy to avoid the flu and other common viruses.
Karen Glatt says
I and my family always get the flu vaccine every year because the health problems that I can get or my elderly father and other family members can get is really bad. The flu can kill and everyone needs to get this important vaccine.
Robin Wilson says
I get the flu and pneumonia vaccines because I have Lupus, although I would get them otherwise as well. My family gets to help protect me and themselves. I am speaking as one who would most likely not survive a bad case of the flu. Vaccinations are so important!!
Jennifer Mercurio (@DoubleDutyMommy) says
we don’t do vaccines in my family so I never get the flu shot nor do my kids. My husband always has and grew up getting it so he always has.
slehan says
I get one every year. So far it’s kept me from getting the flu.
Jennifer Young says
I always get it for my girls. My oldest daughter and my husband both tested positive for influenza last year. My daughter (who had the shot) got it so much less than my husband who couldn’t get out of bed for a week!