Top Story: Addressing the Burden of Influenza in Pediatric Patients: The Role of Vaccines

The flu is a lot more prevalent than we think and can have some pretty terrible symptoms. Especially with children, the flu spreads rapidly, with hospitals and urgent cares packed during those difficult seasons. Many people may think of the flu as a bad cold, but it can be so much more than that.

Dr. Jill Foster, MD and Director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Minnesota Medical School recently shared her insight on the flu in pediatric patients with VacciNation on ReachMD. She talks about the economic burden of the flu as well, and how the loss of a child can be devastating for families, both emotionally and financially.

“The first thing I’ll say to people is there’s a number of different flu shots and nasals that can be given to children. And one of the things I’ll advise people is to really make sure you know what product you have because different ones have different amounts that you give and all sorts of subtle changes,” she says.

Children six to eight months who have never had the flu vaccine before will need two doses four weeks apart. Dr. Foster says a lot of the time, it can be difficult to get them back in for that second dose, which is crucial for full protection. Just that second dose alone can eliminate about 2 million visits to a provider's office across all age groups.

“I think our first goal really should be to try to at least get back to where we were before the pandemic. That was a group of people who were willing to vaccinate, we need to look at maybe something logistical going on, maybe sort of different hours, just to work out the logistics of what’s changed now,” said Dr. Foster. “By vaccinating, we save millions of lives and save millions of dollars.”

You can learn more about the flu and its vaccines, and listen to her interview here.