Q&A: Why kids need swine flu vaccine first

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Q: Why are health officials stressing the need to vaccinate young children first?

A: Children are one of the priority target groups to receive the vaccine because they are more susceptible to contracting and spreading the virus.

Q: Will my child be kept out of school if I don’t want them to receive the vaccine?

A: Not likely. States set vaccination laws for school entry and New Jersey is currently the only state with laws pertaining to flu vaccination.

Q: If I think my child has already had the swine flu, should they get the vaccine?

A: Yes. The quick tests in doctor’s offices are not as reliable as doctor’s would like them to be and most diagnosed with flu were probably not even tested. Therefore it’s best to go ahead and get vaccinated. If you’re not sure they’ve had the virus, receiving the vaccine will have no ill effects.

Q: Should my child have the nasal spray vaccine or an injection?

A: Children under age 2 and older than 6 months can take only the injectable vaccine, which contains a killed virus. Either an injection or a nasal spray vaccine, which has contains a small amount of live virus, can be taken by healthy people age 2-49.

Sources: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Georgia Department of Community Health