Adolescence and the Flu Vaccine

Adolescence and the Flu Vaccine

By: Meghan Crawford, Karleigh Cook, and Elizabeth Vinson

Most people think that getting the flu vaccine is wrong while their child is going through adolescence. (4)“Adolescence is the time where a child is going through puberty in the ages between 13 and 19 years old” . Most parents think that there isn’t a specific time, but they just don’t think that it should be done during adolescence because of the changes in adolescence like (4)“the physical and psychological changes that occur in adolescence can start” . Flu vaccinations during adolescence is not supported by a lot of people. The flu vaccine can be very helpful to kids and their parents. If they were to wait too long, then the child could have a better chance of getting the various types of the flu. (3)“The vaccine enters ones body, stays in there, and creates antibodies to help decrease the chance of the one getting the flu”. (3)“This may be linked to science because it works with ones genetics to help decrease the likelihood of them  getting the flu”.

Benefits

The flu vaccine has it benefits and risk to getting vaccinated. It is used so that you will not end up catching the flu. It is also used to keep the flu symptoms milder in case you catch the flu.Some other benefits of getting the flu vaccine are (2) “ the flu vaccine can reduce the risk of more serious risk of the flu like death or going to the hospital”. (2)“ The vaccine helps protect pregnant women from catching the flu and it showed that 92% of mother and infant from being hospitalized”.

Risks

Some risk of not getting vaccinated with health risk like HIV or kidney disease are more likely to get the flu but also get  pneumonia(1)’’ Kids that take aspirin while having the flu can end up with Reye syndrome’’. (1) “Within 1-2 days of getting vaccinated  you may have soreness in the area where you got the shot. Some more side effects are feel achy or have a mild fever after getting the shot. From 2-3 weeks after getting vaccinated some people may end up getting sick”.

Interviews

Interviewee

Question

1. Sabataso

Q:Do you know what adolescence mean? A:yes Q: Do you think that it is right to get your teen vaccinated well going through adolescence? A: Yes, because there is a chance that her children could get the vaccine. Q:Do you think that there’s a certain time that your kid should be vaccinated? Yes. babies and young adults. Q:Do you as a person believe that the flu vaccine work ? A: Yes, she thinks it does because she has gotten it for the past six years and she hasn’t gotten the flu, yet. Q:Would you vaccinate your child during adolescence? Yes, because she just wants to take the safer route than the sorry.

2. Wood

Q. Do you know what adolescence mean? Yes Q. Do you think that it is right to get your teen vaccinated well going through adolescence? Yes, because he doesn’t want his children to get the flu Q. Do you think that there’s a certain time that your kid should be vaccinated? babies and/or babies Q. Do you as a person believe that the flu vaccine work ? No, never got the vaccine and he has never got the vaccine, and he believes his immune system is strong enough Q.Would you vaccinate your child during adolescence? No.

3. Broome

Q. Do you know what adolescence mean? yes Q. Do you think that it is right to get your teen vaccinated well going through adolescence? Maybe, only believes you should get it if you have health issues. Q. Do you think that there’s a certain time that your kid should be vaccinated? Babies under 15 years and the older people. Q. DO you as a person believe that the flu vaccine work ? No, because he thinks the flu vaccine only works for one type of the flu. Not all of them. Q. Would you vaccinate your child during adolescence? No, he thinks that they’re healthy enough.

4. Marlowe

Do you know what adolescence mean? yes Do you think that it is right to get your teen vaccinated well going through adolescence? yes Do you think that there’s a certain time that your kid should be vaccinated? as soon as possible DO you as a person believe that the flu vaccine work ? I have no idea, has not done research Q. Would you vaccinate your child during adolescence? i would never have a kid

Resources

Teen Health. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2015, from http://teenshealth.org/teen/infections/colds_and_flu/flu_shot.html

What are the Benefits of Flu Vaccination. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2015, from www.cdc.gov/flu/

Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine. (2014, October 22). Retrieved February 24, 2015, from http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm

Psychology Today. (n.d.). Retrieved February 24, 2015, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/adolescence