New Hampshire Flu Season

Influenza, commonly called “the flu”, is a viral infection that affects the nose, throat, and lungs.  The flu is different from the common cold as it is more likely to cause severe illness and life-threatening complication.

Here are some of the benefits of the flu vaccine:

•  Best Protection: The seasonal flu vaccine offers the best protection against influenza illness and is recommended for all children 6 months of age and older.
• Decreased Illness: The flu vaccine can help prevent people from getting sick with the flu and studies have shown that even if the vaccine fails to prevent the flu, it may still make the illness less serious.
• Protect High Risk: Some children are at high risk for complications from the flu, including those with asthma, diabetes, heart disease and other conditions.
• Saves Lives: The flu vaccine can lower the risk of a child being hospitalized or dying from the flu.
• Flu Vaccine Every Year: The CDC recommends a flu vaccine every year because immune protection decreases from one year to the next and the viruses that cause influenza can change from year to year.
  Please refer to https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/vaccine-benefits.htm for more information about the benefits of flu vaccines.

Here are some of the benefits of having the flu vaccine given in school:

• Efficient and Convenient: Schools are a great setting to vaccinate a large number of children efficiently and conveniently, no separate appointment is needed.
• Herd Immunity: Germs are spread easily at school. The school community may benefit from herd immunity, protecting others in the school from influenza illness and reducing the risk of an influenza outbreak. Family members may also be protected from getting the flu if your child is vaccinated.
• Decreased Absenteeism: Your child will be less likely to get sick from the flu and miss school. You will be less likely to miss work if your child is not home sick.
• Protect Kids: Rates of flu infection are often highest among children. Flu clinics at school allow more children to be protected from influenza disease.

No, the flu vaccine protects against influenza, which is a different virus than the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. While the flu vaccine does not protect against COVID-19, it can help protect against lung infections related to the flu. Scientists are working on developing a vaccine to prevent COVID-19.

There is no cost to participate in this flu clinic. The NH Immunization Program is able to provide the vaccine.

Trained clinical staff will provide the vaccine to your child.

The flu vaccine given at school is injectable and quadrivalent, which means it is a flu shot that protects against 4 different influenza viruses. There are no preservatives, such as thimerosal, in the single dose flu vaccines provided.

The intranasal flu vaccine will not be offered due to increased screening requirements. 

Yes, the vaccine is very safe. There may be redness and swelling at the site of the shot but most side effects of the vaccine are mild and go away on their own in a few days. There has been extensive research showing the safety of flu vaccines and hundreds of millions of Americans have safely received flu vaccines over the past 50 years.

The risk of a vaccine causing a serious reaction is extremely rare, but like any other medicine, it could possibly cause a problem such as an allergic reaction. All children will be screened by trained clinical staff based on the answers you gave when you completed the consent form. All children will wait at the clinic area for 15 minutes after vaccination. In the rare event of a reaction, staff are trained and equipped to handle the situation.

No, the flu vaccine cannot give you the flu. There are many reasons your child might feel flu-like symptoms. For example, they might have been exposed to a non-flu virus before or after they got vaccinated or they might have been exposed to the flu virus after they got vaccinated but before the vaccine took effect. Remember, it takes about two weeks after you get the vaccine for your body to build protection against the flu. Mild side effects of the vaccine can also sometimes be mistaken for the flu.

No, only small groups of children will be brought to the clinic area at a time and sent back to class as soon as possible.