One in three parents plan to skip flu shots for their children during the COVID-19 pandemic

The pandemic does not appear to be changing parents’ views on the importance of the flu vaccine.

This year could be a double flu season, as the nation already faces a deadly viral illness with near-twin symptoms. And while public health experts have emphasized the importance of people of all ages getting seasonal flu shots during the COVID-19 pandemic, many parents may not be getting that message.

Only one-third of parents believe that getting their children the flu shot is more important this year, a national survey suggests.

And as schools reopen for the first time since the novel coronavirus outbreak, one in three parents do not plan to vaccinate children against the flu, according to the National Survey on Child Health from CS Mott Children’s Hospital in Michigan Medicine. .

“We may see spikes in flu and COVID-19 at the same time, which could overwhelm the healthcare system, overload testing capacity, and potentially reduce our ability to effectively detect and treat both respiratory illnesses,” says the Mott Poll co-director Sarah Clark. .

“Our report finds that even during the pandemic, some parents do not view the flu vaccine as more urgent or necessary. This raises concerns about how the onset of the flu season may compound the challenges in managing COVID-19.” .

Influenza has caused between 9 and 45 million illnesses, between 140,000 and 810,000 hospitalizations and between 12,000 and 61,000 deaths a year since 2010, according to estimates by the Centers for Disease Control.

Children under the age of five, and especially those under the age of two, are at high risk of developing serious flu-related complications. CDC reported 188 pediatric flu deaths during the 2019-2020 flu season.

The nationally representative Mott Poll report includes 1,992 responses from parents of children ages 2 to 18 who were surveyed in August.

The families least likely to vaccinate their children against the flu were those who did not do so last year; less than a third of those parents say their child will likely get the flu shot this year.

In contrast, among parents who said their child received the flu vaccine last year, almost all (96%) intend for their child to receive the flu vaccine this year.

“A key challenge for public health officials is how to reach parents who do not routinely seek seasonal influenza vaccination for their children,” says Clark. “When getting an annual flu shot is not a pattern, parents should be encouraged to think about why it is essential that their children get vaccinated.”

And according to the Mott Poll report, families whose provider strongly recommends vaccination are more likely to vaccinate children against the flu.

Still, less than half of parents say their child’s regular healthcare provider strongly recommends that their child get the flu shot this year.

Clark notes that this may be due to the impact of COVID on the health care delivery system, as many child health providers have limited the number of patients seen for in-person visits, with increased use of telehealth visits. This can reduce opportunities for providers to make robust recommendations on flu vaccination for children and to answer parents’ questions about the safety and efficacy of the flu vaccine.

Given the decline in in-person visits, child health providers should seek other strategies, such as reminder postcards or website posters to emphasize the importance of getting children vaccinated against influenza during this pandemic year, Clark says.

Among the 32% of parents who say their child is unlikely to get the flu vaccine this year, the most common reasons include concerns about side effects or beliefs that it is not necessary or effective.

But experts say these notions are often based on misconceptions about the flu vaccine, which still offers the best protection against both the spread of the virus and the development of serious flu-related illnesses.

“There is a lot of misinformation about the flu vaccine, but it is the best defense for children against the serious health consequences of the flu and the risk of spreading it to other people,” Clark says.

Fourteen percent of parents said they will not seek the flu vaccine because they keep children away from places of medical care due to the risk of exposure to COVID, according to the Mott survey.

“Most child health providers have made changes to their office environment to keep children safe during office visits and vaccinations,” Clark says. “Parents who are concerned about exposure to COVID should contact their child’s provider to learn about the types of precautions that have been taken.”

Nine percent of parents also say their child is afraid of needles or doesn’t want to get a flu shot, preventing them from scheduling a vaccine. Mott’s teams recommend several strategies, including the use of books and comfortable positions to help alleviate fears and anxiety among young children.

Parental intent for the flu shot this year is also slightly lower for parents of teens compared to younger children (73% for children 2 to 4 years old, 70% for children 5 to 12 years old, and 65% from 13 to 18 years).

Sometimes teens get the flu vaccine outside of their regular healthcare provider’s office. Some of those options may be limited by COVID, Clark notes, including schools, health fairs and walk-in clinics at a local health department. However, many retail pharmacies are also expanding their flu vaccination services to children during the pandemic.

Reports from the state health department and the CDC indicate that during the pandemic, overall childhood vaccination rates dropped significantly in states like Michigan. Children appeared to be behind on vaccinations for diseases such as measles and whooping cough (whooping cough), raising public health concerns about children who could get vaccine-preventable diseases.

Experts say the flu vaccine will help limit stress on health care systems during the pandemic by reducing the number of flu-related hospitalizations and doctor visits and decreasing the need for diagnostic tests to distinguish flu from flu. COVID, which has similar symptoms.

“Children should get the flu vaccine not only to protect themselves but to prevent the spread of the flu to family members and those who are at higher risk for serious complications,” Clark says.