Vaccination Information
Provided here is valuable information on protecting your children for harmful diseases.
Vaccine Information Statements
The National Childhood Vaccine Injury (NCVI) Act requires that all health-care providers give parents or patients copies of Vaccine Information Statements before administering each dose of the vaccines listed in the schedule.
Vaccine Information Statements (VISs) are information sheets produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that explain to vaccine recipients, their parents, or their legal representatives both the benefits and risks of a vaccine. Federal law requires that VISs be handed out whenever (before each dose) certain vaccinations are given. The U.S. government provides all of these sheets in additional languages are constantly being updated to reflect the latest information.
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Flu Vaccine for Children
Children of any age with high-risk medical conditions should be vaccinated against the influenza (flu) virus every year. Healthy children ages 6 to 59 months are also at risk from the flu and should get the flu vaccine annually. Recently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expanded its recommendation for annual flu vaccination to include all children ages 6 months to 18 years.
Parents should note that all children under 9 years old who are receiving the flu vaccine for the first time need two shots approximately one month apart to obtain full immunity. Children who have previously been vaccinated need only one flu shot. Children may receive their flu shots from one of the flu shot clinics or their primary care physician.
Persons who have close contact with children with high-risk medical conditions or with healthy children ages 6 to 59 months should also receive the flu vaccine.
The current vaccine product is ineffective for infants under 6 months of age because their immune systems cannot respond to it. However, vaccinating household contacts can decrease the child's chance of exposure to the virus. Therefore, flu shots are especially recommended for contacts of infants younger than 6 months.
Additional Children and Flu Vaccine Information
Additional Flu and Cold Resources Information
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