FLU VACCINE
Kids First Pediatrics strongly encourages vaccinating all children 6 months and older to both seasonal influenza and H1N1 (swine) flu. Children with severe egg allergy should contact their allergist about receiving flu vaccine.
We currently do not yet have the H1N1 vaccine. We anticipate the Illinois Department of Public Health will be shipping it to us soon, but we do not have an exact date. We will post it here on the blog as soon as it is available.
We have seasonal Flu Mist nasal spray for children 2 years and older. Flu Mist cannot be given to children with severe asthma. We also have injectable seasonal flu vaccine for children between 6 months and age 3 years. We are out of injectable flu vaccine for children older than 3 years, and we are not sure if more vaccine will become available. If your older then 3 year old child requires injectable flu vaccine, we encourage you to obtain it through chain pharmacies such as CVS or Walgreens. We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience. This shortage of injectable flu vaccine is nationwide, and appears to be caused by the increased manufacturing of H1N1 vaccine.
Symptoms of influenza (either seasonal or H1N1) include fever, headache, sore throat, cough, and muscle aches. It is NOT recommended to use antiviral medication, like Tamiflu, for the vast majority of children with the flu. We recommend using fever reducers, and offering plenty of fluids. Please call if your child's fever lasts longer then 3 days, if they have decreased urine output, or are lethargic. Complete guidelines and flu information may be viewed on the CDC website (www.cdc.gov).
PLEASE be patient with us - we have had a substantial increase in phone calls and sick visits. We will continue to work hard to provide care for all children who need to be seen.
