Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is more dangerous for children than the common cold. It is not surprising that mothers become anxious as soon as their children start school, where they interact closely with their peers, facilitating transmission of infection.

Each year, thousands of children worldwide are hospitalised because of the complications caused by the flu.

In fact, it was reported that during the H1N1 pandemic in 2009, 348 paediatric deaths occurred between April 2009 and October 2010 worldwide.

As is the case with adults, the single best way to protect your children from contracting the flu is to get them vaccinated each year.

It is recommended that every child over six months of age is given the flu vaccine, which is provided free of charge by local health centres.

The children who are most at risk include those younger than five and children of any age with long-term health conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, congenital heart disease, cancer, or a disorder of the nervous system, liver and kidney. They are at an increased risk of suffering from complications of influenza, such as pneumonia.

Moreover, adults who are in close contact or care for these young children should be vaccinated as well. This includes parents, nannies, day-care providers and teachers.

Children younger than six months are too young to be vaccinated. Therefore, the best way to protect them is to make sure people around them are vaccinated.

On the other hand, children between six months and eight years require a special regime. For first-timers only, if the child is younger than eight, he/she should take two full doses with two weeks in between.

If the child is younger than three, he/she should take two half-doses. Thereafter, the child should take only one dose per season. The reason behind this regime is that since they were never ­vaccinated before, the first dose ‘primes’ the immune system, while the second dose provides the immune protection.

Children who only get one dose but need two doses can have reduced or no protection at all from the single dose of flu vaccine. After the second dose, the immune system takes around two weeks to build the protection needed for your child.

Parents are often tempted to give antibiotics to their children when they have a cough or a sniffle. Upper respiratory illnesses are commonly caused by a virus and antibiotics only act against bacteria. If in doubt whether your child is suffering from a bacterial or a viral infection, seek professional help from your family doctor. If used incorrectly, antibiotics can actually be more harmful to your child’s health.

Total eradication of the virus seems highly unlikely, so is important that everyone tries to prevent the spread of germs by vaccination and incorporating more hygienic ways in our day-to-day activity.

Tips to protect the kids

• Encourage them to cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue and then throw it in the bin

• Stay away from people who are sick

• Wash hands regularly with soap and water, or using an alcohol-based hand rub; and avoid touching the eyes, nose and mouth (the common way of spreading germs)

• If someone in the household is ill, try to keep them in a separate room from the others

• Keep surfaces like bedside tables, in the bathroom, kitchen counters and toys for children clean by wiping them with a household disinfectant

Why get the jab?

The flu vaccine contains inactivated strains of the virus and is injected intramuscularly, usually in the upper arm. These killed strains cannot cause an infection!

About two weeks after vaccination, antibodies develop. If they come in contact with the virus during an infection, they are rapidly activated and destroy it.

Flu vaccines will not protect against illnesses caused by non-influenza viruses (such as the common cold).

So why is it necessary to get vaccinated every year? The flu virus modifies its structure so that it escapes from being identified as a foreign body and, therefore, our antibodies are unable to eliminate it.

It is not unusual for new strains to emerge. Studies conducted over different seasons and across vaccine types have shown immunity to influenza viruses (acquired through natural infection or vaccination) decline over time.

Health professionals carry out research every year and suggest which strains will be most common to develop the new vaccine.

People allergic to eggs are more likely to experience severe allergic reactions to the vaccine, since the viruses used are grown in an egg-medium in laboratories.

These include breathing problems, hoarseness or wheezing, hives, paleness, weakness, a fast heartbeat or dizziness, and usually occur a few minutes to a few hours after the shot. These people should consult their family doctor before having the vaccine.