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It's that time of year again. The
kids are back to school and sharing
germs! Start thinking about
protecting your children from cold
viruses and the flu! Prevention is
the key! Encourage your children to:
1. Wash Their Hands
Frequent hand washing can
help prevent transmission of
illness from infected people. If
your child plays with a toy or
shares a desk with someone with
a cold, who has just wiped his
nose or coughed, he could
transmit that virus to your
child. A cold or flu virus on
your hands can live for up to
three hours. If you then touch
your eyes, nose, or mouth you
could become infected.
2. Encourage them to avoid
touching their Eyes, Nose, or
Mouth (tough to do!)
The eyes, nose, and mouth are
the most common routes of entry
for flu and cold viruses.
3. Drink Lots of Water
Dry centrally heated air
(during the winter) can promote
dehydration. Encourage your
children to drink lots of water.
4. Encourage Sleep and
Routine
It is hard to fight infection
if you are tired. Try to keep a
regular routine at bedtime to
help your child sleep well.
5. Get the Flu Vaccine for
your child!
The flu vaccine is encouraged
for all children 6 months-18
years. There is no priority flu
vaccine groups this year. It is
recommended for infants,
children, and teens! The flu
vaccine protects against the
three main flu strains that
research indicates will cause
the most illness during the flu
season. This year's influenza
vaccine contains three new
influenza virus strains. The
2008-09 influenza vaccine can
protect your child from getting
sick from these three viruses,
or it can make your child's
illness milder if they get a
related but different strain of
flu virus.
Which flu vaccine should my
child receive?
Injectable flu vaccine will be
offered to children 6 months- 2
years.
FluMist will be offered to
children 2 years and older unless:
- your child has experienced
wheezing or required the use of
a nebulizer or inhaler in the
last year
- your child has been labeled
asthmatic
- your child is in contact
with someone who is severely
immunocompromised (i.e. bone
marrow transplant recipient)
NO VACCINE WILL BE ADMINISTERED
IF YOUR CHILD HAS AN EGG ALLERGY
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Flu vaccine (injectable and
FluMist) is in stock at all 3
locations.
Flu Clinics will be the
primary manner patients will receive
vaccine this year unless your child
has a routine office visit scheduled
in the beginning of flu season.
Flu season has not started
yet. We received a partial
shipment of vaccine and are eager to
start the season early so we can
accommodate as many patients as
possible.
Flu clinics will be scheduled and
vaccine will be administered based
on availability of shipments of
vaccine from the manufacturer. We do
not control shipment date or size.
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Important Factors to Note
about Flu Vaccine Administration:
* Children ages 6 months-8 years
who have not been vaccinated
previously or who were vaccinated
for the first time during the
previous season and received only 1
dose should receive 2 doses of
vaccine.
If this is:
-Injectable Flu wait 4
weeks in between dose 1 and
2
-FluMist wait 6 weeks
between dose 1 and dose 2.
· Mild side effects of the
vaccine may include runny nose,
headache, vomiting, muscle aches
and fever. You cannot get the
flu from the flu vaccine.
· Injectable Flu vaccine and
FluMist nasal vaccine can be
given to people with minor
illnesses or mild upper
respiratory tract infection
without fever. FluMist nasal
vaccine should not be
administered if there is
significant nasal congestion.
However, if there is
considerable nasal congestion-
delaying administration of
FluMist may be necessary.
· Flu Vaccine (both
injectable and nasal spray) may
not be given to patients who
have egg allergies.
· If your child has never
eaten eggs before, they will
need to wait in the office for
20 minutes after flu vaccine is
administered.
· A flu vaccine questionnaire
will be filled out for your
child prior to vaccination. If
you would like to print this and
fill it out in advance of the
appointment.
Click Here.
A special note to alternative
vaccination patients, you may
have difficulty scheduling nurse
visits during flu season because
of the volume of flu vaccine
that is administered at our
offices.
Please bear with us or
consider receiving your vaccines
during your well visit.
Please make sure to add
Town and Country Pediatrics to
your address book to ensure
timely delivery of your email
and to minimize bounce backs.
Remember we never share email
addresses with any other company
and only communicate the most
important information to our
patients. Please open and read
all emails from Town and Country
Pediatrics.
Halsted Office (312)
279-8900
Glenview Office (847)
998-8806
Lincoln Office (773) 478-1067
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