HHS HealthBeat (November 30, 2006)

Safe for kids

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I'm Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Kids don't like shots. Well, none of us do, but kids cry more. We give kids shots anyway, because getting immunized beats getting sick.

There is, though, the risk of side effects – maybe a bad reaction. So researchers wanted to see what happened when babies got flu shots. The researchers checked records of more than 45,000 kids, ages six months to 23 months.

Their report was in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Dr. Simon Hambidge of Kaiser Permanente Colorado:

"Given the size of this study, I think that it was surprising how few problems we saw associated with the vaccine." (seven seconds)

There was a slight increase in mild vomiting and diarrhea.

The researchers say the shot is safe. And Hambidge says that, because very young kids need two shots, the best time to get the first is now.

Learn more at www.hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: December, 15 2006