Bracing for a Bad Flu Season
Immunization Is Important
Flu activity is expected to increase this fall, ahead of the regular flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn.
And while no one knows how bad it will be, “We do know that the seasonal flu will be here,” says Robert W. Frenck Jr., MD, infectious disease specialist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. “That’s why immunization is so important.”
Two options are available:
- The shot for anyone older than 6 months. It’s not a live vaccine and won’t give you the flu, and it’s safe for those with compromised immune systems.
- Nasal spray for those 2 to 49 years old. It’s a live vaccine, so it can’t be used in people with significant immunosuppression or asthma. Read more information about flu shots.
Testing Vaccines
Did you know Cincinnati Children’s is one of a handful of centers nationwide chosen to take part in testing vaccines to protect against the 2009 H1N1 swine flu virus?
Now you can watch our doctors talk about news on YouTube. We’re taking the latest happenings at Cincinnati Children’s online to better connect with a web-savvy world.
Visit the Cincinnati Children's YouTube channel and watch Robert W. Frenck Jr., MD, talk about local volunteers taking part in the H1N1 study that could help combat swine flu and save lives.
