The most common time of year that seasonal flu outbreaks occur is Fall through early Spring, making the winter months prime-time for contracting the virus. Although it’s not always thought of as a serious or life-threatening condition, various versions of the flu spread and affect people differently, ultimately raising the risk for complications.

As flu season approaches here in Central Texas, it’s important to become educated on last year’s occurrences and know the risk for the coming year. These statistics are from the Center for Disease Control from the last Influenza season:

115 Flu-related Deaths Reported From September 2010 to August 2011

• Of the 115 who died, 56 had no known high-risk medical conditions
• Of the 115 who died, only 17 were fully vaccinated
• Only 23 % of eligible children were vaccinated last season
• The median age of those who died was 5 years-old

Pediatric Center of Round Rock recommends the Influenza vaccine for children after 6 months of age. The vaccine is never 100% protective or 100% safe, but the protection is significant enough to make this a general recommendation.

Children with asthma, allergies or chronic disorders are more susceptible to suffering severe Influenza symptoms and aggravation of their chronic condition.

If your child is uninsured, we can provide the vaccine through the ”Vaccine For Children”, a federally-funded program that provides vaccines at no cost to children who might not otherwise be vaccinated because of inability to pay.

To protect your child through the flu season, call us today to schedule an appointment at (512) 733-5437.

About Dr. Marta Katalenas M.D.

Dr. Marta Katalenas is a Board Certified Pediatrician and owns the Pediatric Center of Round Rock located in Round Rock, Texas. Dr. Katalenas is a professional speaker and is available to speak on childhood obesity and healthy eating topics. She is also the author of the upcoming book "From Scratch", a guide to healthy cooking and eating for busy families.

This entry was posted on Monday, December 5, 2011 at 10:43 pm and is filed under Health Alerts, Influenza (Flu). You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.