Families should make sure everyone in their household gets a flu shot, a group of pediatricians urged Friday, as a triple whammy of respiratory viruses continued to hit children’s hospitals. The Canadian Pediatric Society said the advice is even more urgent for families with young children as the flu spreads rapidly, along with outbreaks of COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus. Children under five and those with chronic conditions are more likely to need hospitalization if they catch the flu, the agency said. Dr. Kevin Chan, chair of the CPS acute care committee, says parents and caregivers should contact their family doctor or local public health unit to find out where they can book their age-appropriate shots. “I would encourage families to get the flu shot as soon as possible,” Chan said. Earlier this week, public health officials reported the start of a flu epidemic, with flu levels higher than in previous years. With COVID-19 in the mix, parents of young children may be faced with a decision about which vaccines to prioritize, Chan acknowledged. Federal data show that 7.3 percent of children four and under have received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and only 2.4 percent of children in that age group have completed their initial series. While adults and children five years of age and older can receive the COVID-19 and flu vaccines at the same time, the National Immunization Advisory Committee recommends that for children six months to five years of age, the COVID-19 vaccine will must be two weeks away from other vaccines. This recommendation is “out of an abundance of caution to more easily monitor for side effects,” according to the Hamilton Health Sciences website. Chan said for these cases, right now the flu vaccine should be the priority. “I would really encourage getting the influenza A vaccine a little earlier than the COVID vaccine at this stage,” he said. “Because clearly the numbers of the influenza A virus are extremely high right now.” If more children get vaccines, he said, it could help reduce the number of children in pediatric hospitals across the country. “It would make a big difference in reducing the risk of your child getting sick,” he said. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s head of public health, told a news conference Friday that the increased transmission of the virus in the pediatric age group could be transmitted to the elderly and those who are more vulnerable. “That could very well come next and we have to protect our seniors, our long-term care facilities that have obviously had a really tough time in the last two to three years,” he said. The Canadian Pediatric Society and the National Advisory Committee recommend that all children six months of age and older receive an annual flu shot. Tam noted that flu vaccine uptake is generally higher among the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions. “So there is always room to increase vaccine uptake among the very young,” he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on November 18, 2022.
