Vaccination against influenza protects against severe flu disease courses - including children.
You can find out what is recommended with regard to vaccinating the little ones here.
Virus flu is harmless in most cases.
After contact with the pathogen (influenza virus), the immune system of healthy children and adults forms antibodies that render the virus harmless.
In some cases, however, the flu can become life-threatening.
This risk is increased, especially in older and immunocompromised people, because their defense cannot fight pathogens to a sufficient extent.
As a result, dangerous complications such as pneumonia can occur after an influenza infection.
Against this background, the Robert Koch Institute, as the leading biomedical research facility of the German Federal Government, recommends the flu vaccination especially for the following groups of people:
People over 60
Pregnant women
People with previous illnesses (e.g. cardiovascular diseases, liver and kidney diseases, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, HIV, etc.)
Residents of old people's or nursing homes
Caregivers and members of vulnerable groups (such as residents or the chronically ill)
Medical staff
People who have a lot to do with other people at work
Personnel in the care and support of risk groups (e.g. geriatric nurses)
Influenza vaccination survey
Having children vaccinated against the flu: an overview of the STIKO recommendations
The Federal Center for Health Education BzGA goes even further. She also recommends the flu vaccination for children with previous illnesses. They are often more likely to get the flu than healthy children. As a result, dangerous processes occur more frequently: "Complications such as pneumonia particularly affect children with a weakened immune system or those who already suffer from lung or heart diseases," informs the BZgA. Against the background that the virus flu is very contagious and can spread quickly from child to child in kindergartens and schools
, the Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) recommends the annual flu vaccination for all children who are at a higher risk of complications
. According to the BZgA, these include:
Children with chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma
Children with heart or circulatory diseases
Children with liver or kidney disease
Children with diabetes
Children with chronic neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis
HIV infected children
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However, there are doctors who are in favor of new recommendations due to the corona pandemic. The professional association of paediatricians eV publishes the information on the children's and adolescent doctor's practice in Kelheim from Dr. med. Ute Schindler and Dr. med. Katrin Leuchtenberger.
According to the doctors, all people should be immunized against flu.
she
currently recommend all parents and their children to have a flu vaccination, "as it is particularly important in the context of the corona pandemic to avoid severe respiratory diseases / hospital stays.
After the flu season 2020/21 was canceled due to the contact restrictions and the application of the AHA rules, a more violent flu epidemic is expected in 2021/22 ”, say the experts in paediatrics.
(jg)