Mount Pleasant Pediatrics physicians recommend that all children 6 months of age and older receive the yearly flu vaccine.
Yes, IF SUPPLY ALLOWS. We do plan on offering flu vaccine to parents during the flu clinics as long as our vaccine supply holds out. We will not be able to file this with the parent’s insurance so it will be an out of pocket expense to the parent.
No. All flu vaccines administered by Mt. Pleasant Pediatrics are preservative-free (no thimerosal).
No. We will not have the nasal flu vaccine (Flumist) available this year.
No. The flu shot is made with flu vaccine viruses that have been inactivated and are therefore not infectious. Potential side effects from the flu shot are redness, swelling and tenderness at the site of the injection. Low-grade fever, headache, and muscle aches may also occur. If these reactions occur, they usually start shortly after the shot and resolve in 1-2 days.
Yes. There are multiple strains of the flu that circulate during any given flu season. It is possible to get the flu more than once during a flu season. The vaccine will help protect against this happening.
Yes. During the 2017-2018 season, it was not uncommon to get the flu even after being vaccinated. This was related to a mismatch of the strains of flu in the vaccine with the strains of flu that actually circulated. However, we did find that the majority of patients who had been vaccinated and still got the flu had less severe and shorter illnesses than unvaccinated patients.
Flu shots are given at well visits as a routine. If you plan on “piggy-backing” a sibling for Flu Shot at another sibling’s well-visit, PLEASE make that request prior to the appointment time. This may not always be possible.