Children Getting a Flu Vaccine for the First Time Need Two Doses, at Least Four Weeks Apart
Flu season is under way, and many parents who have taken a child for a first flu shot do not realize some children need a second one in the same season. Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics is clear: everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every year, and children from 6 months through 8 years who are getting it for the first time, who have received only one dose in total before, or whose record is unknown need two doses this season, given at least four weeks apart.
The reason is how a young child's immune system learns. The first dose introduces the virus to the immune system, and the second dose builds protection up to full strength. One dose alone leaves a first-time child only partly protected. Once a child has received at least two doses in total, one dose each later season is enough. Children 9 and older need just one dose a season.
One detail is easy to miss: if a child turns 9 before the second dose, the second dose should still be given when the child was due two doses this season. Parents who are unsure how many doses a child has had can take the vaccination record to the pediatrician or clinic, who will work out whether one dose or two are needed this season.
For children who need two doses, the first should be given as early as possible so the second can be completed before flu activity peaks. Babies under 6 months cannot be vaccinated yet; they are protected when the mother is vaccinated during pregnancy and when family members and caregivers are vaccinated. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：小学生接受流感疫苗接种（Sgt. Gerald Wilson 摄，Wikimedia Commons，公共领域）。 / Photo: A schoolchild receiving a flu vaccine, by Sgt. Gerald Wilson, Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
