By JUDY JENKINS, Gleaner staff
October 2, 2002

"I'm not going to twist any parents' arms to get them to have their (healthy) babies get flu shots," says Dr. John Jenkins, a local veteran pediatrician.

Though national health officials are recommending this year that babies 6 months to 2 years of age receive the vaccine, the offices of three Henderson pediatric practices reached by The Gleaner indicate they will administer the shots to children that young only if the tots have conditions that make them at risk for flu complications, or if parents specifically request the inoculation.

Dr. Larry Crick said, "We don't routinely do babies because we don't know the (potential) long-term side effects. The only ones we'd vaccinate would be high risk," such as children with respiratory problems or those who were extremely premature.

Crick said he anticipates starting shots for at-risk babies and older children in mid-October. "We want them to be vaccinated before flu hits."

Dr. Mimi Aljabi's office reports that, "We're not doing anything differently right now ... Typically we don't give the shots to babies unless they're high-risk."

Jenkins said he won't recommend the shots for his grandchildren.

"Children do get sick with the flu," he said, "but we don't see too many cases with complications ... I don't recall any life-threatening illness in small children from influenza unless they are otherwise chronically ill."

He said influenza makes most children ill for 3-5 days and they quickly recover. "It seems that children get over it more quickly than their parents do," he said.

Jenkins also noted that children one year old or older who contract influenza have two medications available to them to alleviate their flu symptoms.

The pediatrician said some people are under the impression that the flu shot "prevents colds" and other winter miseries, "and it doesn't."

This marks the first year that national health officials have urged flu vaccination for babies and toddlers. The recommendation follows recent research that suggests that children under age two are as likely to be hospitalized with flu complications such as pneumonia as are the elderly.

The national Centers for Disease Control reportedly is working to confirm that information, and meanwhile is encouraging the vaccinations for babies.

While adults have only one flu shot annually, young children require two doses a month apart.

Though he said he isn't pushing parents to have healthy babies immunized against flu, Jenkins said he hasn't seen serious reactions to the shot in children. "I can't recall a significant reaction to the shot other than a little fever."