Tag: Down syndrome

Are Your Kids at High Risk for Flu Complications?

Everyone should get a flu vaccine each year, as long as they are at least six months old and have no true contraindications.

Everyone needs a flu shot. When will you get yours?
Everyone needs a flu shot. When will you get yours? Photo by Gabriel Saldana (CC BY-SA 2.0)

That has been the recommendation since at least the 2010-11 flu season.

And while most kids get vaccinated, not all do.

Are Your Kids at High Risk for Flu Complications?

There are some kids, those at high risk for flu complications, who definitely shouldn’t skip or delay their flu vaccine.

  • all children aged 6 through 59 months (younger than age 5 years);
  • children who have chronic medical conditions, including pulmonary (such as asthma and cystic fibrosis), cardiovascular (excluding isolated hypertension), genetic (Down syndrome), renal, hepatic, neurologic (cerebral palsy, epilepsy, stroke, muscular dystrophy, and spina bifida, etc.), hematologic (sickle cell disease), or metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus and mitochondrial disorders);
  • children who are immunocompromised due to any cause (including immunosuppression caused by medications or by HIV infection);
  • teens who are or will be pregnant during the influenza season;
  • children and adolescents (aged 6 months through 18 years) who are receiving aspirin- or salicylate-containing medications (like for Kawasaki disease) and who might be at risk for experiencing Reye syndrome after influenza virus infection;
  • residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities;
  • American Indians/Alaska Natives;
  • children who are extremely obese (body mass index ≥40).

You also shouldn’t skip or delay getting a flu vaccine if your:

  • kids are household contacts of children aged ≤59 months (i.e., aged <5 years) and adults aged ≥50 years, particularly contacts of children aged <6 months;
  • kids are household contacts of someone with a medical condition that puts them at higher risk for severe complications from influenza.

Again, since everyone should get a flu vaccine, these higher risk classes shouldn’t determine whether or not you vaccinate your kids, but they might influence the timing.

Again, don’t skip your child’s flu vaccine because they aren’t in a flu high risk group.

In most flu seasons, about 80% of children with the flu who die are not vaccinated. And many of them will be otherwise healthy, without an underlying high risk medical condition.

Get your child vaccinated against the flu. And if they are in a high risk group, make sure you do it well before flu season starts and maybe as soon as flu vaccine becomes available in your area.

More on Being at High Risk for Flu Complications

Vaccine Schedule for Children with Down Syndrome

Has someone got you thinking that you need to skip or delay some vaccines for your child with Down syndrome?

Just because your child has Down syndrome doesn't mean that you should skip or delay any of their vaccines.
Just because your child has Down syndrome doesn’t mean that you should skip or delay any of their vaccines. Photo by Melissa Wall (CC BY 2.0)

Are you now on the fence and looking for a specific vaccine schedule for children with Down syndrome?

Vaccine Schedule for Children with Down Syndrome

Vaccine schedules for children with Down syndrome are quite easy to find.

They are the same as the vaccine schedules for every other children!

Unless they have another medical contraindication, there is no reason to skip or delay any of your child’s vaccines just because they have Down syndrome.

“Administer pneumococcal vaccine, as well as other vaccines recommended for all children unless there are specific contraindications.”

American Academy of Pediatrics Health Supervision for Children With Down Syndrome

In fact, because people with Down syndrome can be more susceptible to some infections, it is extra important that they be vaccinated on time, including that they get a yearly flu shot.

Do they need any extra vaccines?

Many  experts recommend that children with Down syndrome get a dose of the Pneumovax vaccine (pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine or PPSV23) when they are at least two years old and at least eight weeks after completing their Prevnar 13 series. While the ACIP guidelines for Pneumovax doesn’t specifically mention Down syndrome, they do say that the vaccine is important for some children with chronic medical conditions and immune system problems.

“Well child care: immunizations; If chronic cardiac or pulmonary disease, give 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine age > 2 years.”

National Down Syndrome Society Guide for New and Expectant Parents

Talk to your pediatrician to see if your child with Down syndrome needs Pneumovax, especially if they get sick a lot or have chronic heart or lung problems. Some kids might even need a second dose of Pneumovax five years after the first dose.

What to Know About Vaccines and Down Syndrome

Your child with Down syndrome should be fully vaccinated on time without any delays, as there are no contraindications and he or she could be at increased risk for some infections.

More About Vaccines and Down Syndrome