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Your Baby Week Nine

By , About.com Guide

Updated October 04, 2007

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Health Alert - Flu Shots

Although your baby is too young to get a flu shot, that doesn't mean that the flu vaccine can't protect him from getting the flu.

If that statement confuses you, just remember that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that "household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age" should get a flu shot each year.

So if your baby lives at home with mom, dad, and a 6-year-old brother, and goes to day care, then during flu season:

  • his household contacts (mom, dad, siblings, nanny, etc.) should get a flu vaccine
  • his out of home caregivers (day care workers) should get a flu vaccine
  • the baby should get two flu shots one month apart if he turns six months old during flu season, which generally lasts from October to March or April in most years
Even though your baby might be too young for a flu shot, if everyone that he is around is vaccinated, then they shouldn't get sick with the flu and won't bring the flu virus around your baby. And if your baby isn't exposed to the flu virus, then he shouldn't get sick with the flu.



Sources:

Prevention and Control of Influenza. Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 2007. MMWR. July 13, 2007 / 56(RR06),1-54.

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