Two of my kids were sick this week. During a trip to the doctor, they got their annual flu shot. It’s apparently now recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics for all kids 6 months to 18 years old. Mine opted for the Flumist again this year. That was all they could get a couple years ago during the big flu scare when there was a shortage of vaccine and now they prefer not having a shot.
Remember the scare? People lining up for hours at pharmacies, physician offices and health departments, hoping to get their shot before supplies ran out? Remember individuals, groups and local governments paying obscene sums of money to order vaccine from Europe? There was a huge public uproar over this medical crisis with little supply available to thwart a potential epidemic (one that never happened). Here are some statistics from 2005 on the number of fatalities due to both Influenza and Pneumonia, according to the Centers for Disease Control. From what I gather, fatal complications from the flu account for roughly half of these numbers:
Age 1-4: 110
Age 5-9: 51
Age 10-14: 55
You can get free or subsidized flu shots from many health care organizations and local government health departments, even if you don’t qualify for public aid. Even if you pay, many insurance companies cover all or part of the cost.
Let’s look at another epidemic, a real one, killing nearly 9 times more children than the flu and pneumonia and other contagious diseases, combined.
Age 1-4: 489 (#2 cause)
Age 5-9: 560 (#1 cause)
Age 10-14: 763 (#1 cause)
There’s a readily available vaccine for these kids that is proven effective. If only the #1 killer of kids got even a fraction of the attention that the flu gets. The American Academy of Pediatrics supports this with similar recommendations. Yet, insurance companies don’t cover this vaccine and finding free or subsidized ones from the government or health care agencies is difficult, if not impossible to find in most areas, even for those on public aid. What gives?
The people in the photo all look too damned happy to be getting a shot. I’m just saying.
That said, awesome post. Child passenger safety doesn’t get the press it SHOULD. We either get scare mongering (omg seatbelts are BAD!) or glossing over the proven safety effects (2 year olds would be fine in a regular seat belt, just give ’em the dvd player).
If only WE were actually in charge of this mess. We’d have news segments that addressed the important stuff, and didn’t freak parents out. It’d be awesome.
Darren, did you ever imagine when you started your little forum that it’d be so very addictive?
that is a really good comparative article.
My kids were supposed to get their flu vaccinations tomorrow, but they’re sick too, so we’ll get them next week. We even switched peds earlier this year because our old office only offered the vaccs to kids with compromised immunities, which meant I had to drag my kids down to the unpleasant health dept. before they closed at 4p along with everyone else trying to do the same.
CPS just isn’t sexy enough for the media to cover. The numbers are higher, the incidents are more tragic, the aftermath perhaps more disabling, but it still isn’t worth covering.
I find it sad that insurance companies also won’t pay for safety. If you have a child w/ SN, they’ll pay for a SN seat for positioning, but not for safety. Apparently they’d rather pay for an ambulance, ER bill, PT after a crash, etc. (and that’s if the child makes it), than to pay for something “just for safety”.
My kids both have mild asthma, so they’ve had a flu shot every year since they were born (they were both old enough for the shot by their first flu season). I get one because I’ve had the flu often enough that I know I don’t want to get it again. 🙂
I think my insurance covers pays about $25 when each of my kids gets a flu shot. Multiply that times, say, 4 (one shot each year until they’re four) and that’s $100 – more then enough to buy a decent car seat that will probably last until age 4. Hmmm. Interesting.
Thanks, Darren. that really puts things in perspective.
totally unrelated- ds had the same shirt as that kid in the picture. I wonder if that family found it on clearance for $0.84 at Target too.