Flu can be Dangerous for Young Children

Children younger than 5–especially those younger than 2– are at high risk of developing serious flu-related complications, but those at highest risk are children < 6 months, who are too young to be vaccinated. All kids 6 months and older should be vaccinated, but it’s also important for caregivers of children to be vaccinated to reduce the risk of flu-related hospitalization and death in kids.

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Protect Against Flu: Caregivers of Infants and Young Children

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Flu Vaccination Can Be Life-Saving in Children

To reduce the risk of flu and its potentially serious complications, CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get a seasonal flu vaccine. Getting a seasonal vaccine is especially important for young children because they are at increased risk of getting severe illness from flu.

Flu vaccination has been shown to reduce the risk of flu illness, hospitalization and even death in children. A 2017 study was the first of its kind to show that flu vaccination significantly reduced a child’s risk of dying from influenza.

Children younger than 5 years old– especially those younger than 2– are at high risk of developing serious flu-related complications. CDC estimates that since 2010, flu-related hospitalizations among children younger than 5 years ranged from 7,000 to 26,000 in the United States. Many more have to go to a doctor, an urgent care center, or the emergency room because of flu.

Complications from flu among children can include:

pneumonia (an illness where the lungs get infected and inflamed),
dehydration (when a child’s body loses too much water and salts, often because fluid losses are greater than fluid intake),
worsening of long-term medical problems like heart disease or asthma,
brain dysfunction,
sinus problems, and ear infections.

In rare cases, flu complications can lead to death.