Expert advice: Flu shots recommended for most kids

Flu season, with its aches, fever and cough, is around the corner, says Dr. Timothy Doran, chairman of pediatrics at Greater Baltimore Medical Center. This year, for the first time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that all children 6 months to 18 years old receive flu vaccinations. Flu shots are available now and will be given until the flu season begins (which may be any time between December and March), Doran says. Why did the CDC recommend flu shots for children this year? The shots are safe and effective, and if we universally vaccinate children, we will be protecting the high-risk children who have not been previously vaccinated. It also protects the elderly. There is an average of more than 30,000 deaths a year in the United States from influenza. Most of those deaths are in people over... [read full story]