Flu Shots for Tots

By Sanjay Gupta, M.D.

Do babies really need another shot? Children in the U.S. already get 10 to 20 vaccines and boosters in their first two years. Given how unhappy the needles make them--and how concerned parents are about side effects--pediatricians have been understandably reluctant to add a flu shot to the mix. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) didn't make things any easier by only "encouraging" flu shots for toddlers.

That changed last week, when a CDC advisory committee voted unanimously to "recommend" flu shots for all 6 million healthy American babies between the ages of 6 and 23 months. The change in wording is subtle but significant. It means most doctors will do it and most private insurers will cover the cost--about $10 a shot. To give everybody time to prepare, the recommendation won't take effect officially until next fall, although many doctors are likely to change their practices immediately.

There are good reasons to give toddlers flu shots. Influenza is a serious disease that kills an average of 36,000 Americans a year. Recent studies have shown that children are at higher risk than we thought and that they can significantly benefit from vaccinations. The shots won't be easy to administer; this age group typically needs two doses the first time around--one in October, a second in November. It is hard enough to get parents to take kids in for even one visit once flu season strikes.

Speaking of the coming flu season, now is the time to get your own shot--before it's too late. Two years ago, when there was a shortage of flu vaccine, health officials asked people (except those in high-risk groups like the elderly and people with weak immune systems) to hold back. This year supply is plentiful, and they've changed their tune--urging just about everybody to get vaccinated. Not only will it cut down on the flu, but it will make it easier to spot cases of SARS should that flulike disease re-emerge.

Dr. Gupta is a neurosurgeon and CNN medical correspondent