Children of any age with high-risk medical conditions should be vaccinated against the influenza (flu) virus every year. (For high-risk medical conditions, see Flu Season Resources: Frequently Asked Questions under "Who should get the influenza vaccine and when?") Healthy children ages 6 to 59 months are also at risk from the flu and should get the flu vaccine annually. Recently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expanded its recommendation for annual flu vaccination to include all children ages 6 months to 18 years.

Current flu vaccines are not approved in children under 6 months of age (who are especially vulnerable to the flu). However, immunization of persons with whom these infants have close contact (such as family and household members) may provide some protection against the flu in these children and is strongly recommended.

Persons who have close contact with children with high-risk medical conditions or with healthy children ages 6 to 59 months should also receive the flu vaccine.

High-risk children, healthy children ages 6 to 59 months, and household contacts of these children (plus household contacts of infants younger than 6 months) should be immunized against the flu in October or early November. PAMF patients in these groups may receive flu vaccine from their primary care providers or at one of PAMF's early flu shot clinics.

Thimerosal-free flu shots will be available at PAMF for patients who are 6 to 35 months of age as required by the State of California. Children 36 months of age or older may receive the standard flu shot, which contains a very small amount of thimerosal (a preservative that has been used for decades and is considered safe by the CDC). A thirmerosal-free flu vaccine given by nose (live attenuated intra-nasal vaccine) is also available for healthy children ages 2 to 18 years at an office visit with their medical provider. Only flu shots will be offered at the PAMF flu shot clinics.

Parents should note that all children 6 months to 8 years of age who are receiving the flu vaccine for the first time this season (2008-2009) will need two flu immunizations approximately one month apart to be considered fully immunized against the flu. Children 8 years of age or younger who got their first flu vaccination last season (2007-2008) and had only one vaccination will also need two vaccinations this season.