After a mild flu season it is easy to forget how very nasty the flu can be. One of the many reasons why the flu is so difficult to manage from a community health stand point is its unpredictability. No one can say that any given year will produce a virulent strain that sickens and hospitalizes hundreds, or whether it will be a mild flu season.
Our suggestion is to be proactive and get immunized this fall when clinics are available, or during well visits. When you and your children are vaccinated, it doesn’t matter what kind of season it turns out to be. Last year, doctors across the country reported that the vaccinated kids who did get the flu (no vaccine is 100%), had a much milder case. Either way, you win if you get vaccinated. We have flu shots available now. For flu shot clinic times and locations check our website or facebook page.
Unfortunately, On June 22, 2016, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended that Flu Mist not be used in the 2016-17 influenza season due to poor effectiveness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) are supporting this recommendation. PYAM will also be supporting this recommendation given by the ACIP, CDC, and AAP and will not have Flu Mist available this year.