Find a flu vaccine before the flu finds you

How can you protect yourself and the people you love from getting influenza this flu season? By making sure you and the people you care for receive the flu vaccine.

The Let’s Immunize Northern Kentucky (LINK) coalition, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend and encourage everyone 6 months of age and older to get vaccinated against the flu this year.

Influenza is among the most common respiratory illnesses in the United States, infecting millions of people every flu season. Every year, flu spreads across the country, from person to person, family to family, and community to community. It can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Healthy children and adults can get very sick from the flu and spread it to family and friends.

Not only should you ensure that you and your loved ones get vaccinated, but also consider those who come in contact with your loved ones. This would include all family members, household contacts such as an in-home sitter for young children or elderly parents, and out-of-home care providers such as child care workers.

Some people are more at risk for complications when they get influenza:. children who are younger than 5 years; children with high-risk conditions such as asthma and diabetes; all women who are pregnant, considering pregnancy or are breastfeeding; and health care personnel.

This flu season, adults need only one dose of flu vaccine, but children will need one or two doses of flu vaccine depending on the child’s vaccine history.

Here are some simplified guidelines for determining how many doses your child may need:

Infants younger than 6 months are too young to be immunized. Make sure those around infants are immunized to provide protection.

Children 9 years of age and older need only one dose.

Children 6 months through 8 years of age need only one dose of the 2011-2012 influenza vaccine if they received at least one dose last season.

Children 6 months through 8 years of age should receive two doses if they did not receive any vaccine last season. The second dose should be administered at least four weeks after the first.

The LINK coalition wants you to show your loved ones how much you care for them by being able to say, “I care about you. Please get vaccinated against the flu. I did!”

Visit www.immunizenky.org for more information about recommended vaccinations.

For additional childhood parenting tips, visit www.bornlearning.org .

Sonya Moseley, RN, BSN, with the Northern Kentucky Independent District Health Department is a member of the Kentucky Immunization Program/LINK Coalition.