No flu shot for your child? A third of parents will refuse despite COVID-19, poll says
Despite recommendations from public health officials, some parents are choosing not to get flu shots for their children this year, a new poll finds.
Among the 2,000 parents polled by University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott’s Children’s Hospital, 32% say their child is unlikely to get vaccinated for the flu.
Most common reasons parents have for not getting a flu vaccine for their child include concerns about side effects and the belief they are not necessary or effective, the hospital said. Fear of health care sites during the COVID-19 pandemic is the reason why 14% of the parents will not seek the vaccine, according to the poll.
But due to the ongoing pandemic, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say “getting a flu vaccine is more important than ever” this year.
Millions of children get the flu each year and children younger than 5 are most at risk “of developing serious flu-related complications,” the CDC said.
“Only 28%” of parents whose child did not get a flu vaccine last year will receive one this year, the C.S. Mott poll found. In comparison, 96% of parents who got a flu shot for their children in 2019 will get one for them again this year.
“There is a lot of misinformation about the flu vaccine, but it is the best defense for children against serious health consequences of influenza and the risk of spreading it to others,” said Mott Poll co-director Sarah Clark.
The recent poll falls in line with findings from a study published last year in the JAMA Pediatrics journal. The study found less than two-thirds of children and teenagers from 2010 to 2017 did not get an annual flu vaccination, according to UPI.
The CDC said 188 children died from the flu last season. It recommends everyone 6 months or older get the annual vaccine.
“Getting a flu vaccine is especially important this season because the flu and the coronavirus... cause similar common signs and symptoms,” Mayo Clinic Dr. Prittish K. Tosh said. “Flu vaccination could reduce symptoms that might be confused with those caused by COVID-19. Preventing the flu and reducing the severity of flu illness and hospitalizations could also lessen the stress on the health care system.”
