A MOTHER is issuing a dire warning to parents after her newborn wound up in the NICU.
The two-week-old landed in the emergency room after a common cold.
Tracy Keck, a mom of three warns families about the impacts of a simple cold after her newborn baby landed in the emergency room from a simple cold[/caption]
Keck and her family receives annual vaccines now to fight infections and prioritizes hand washing[/caption]
Mom Tracy Keck said a common cold is not so simple anymore. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports the last flu season was the most severe in a decade, and health experts say now is the time to protect yourself before cases rise again.
The intensity of the cold and flu season is reported based on influenza-like illness (ILI) outpatient visits, flu-related hospitalizations, and flu-related deaths.
Keck said she and her family take flu prevention seriously after her baby’s hospitalization, she told Salt Lake City, Utah, NBC affiliate KSL-TV.
“That was really a wake-up call of how damaging even a simple virus can be to our most sensitive and vulnerable,” she warns everyday Americans.
Her family takes extra steps to be healthy by making hand-washing fun and receiving annual flu shots.
“They (her kids) like to use way too much soap because it makes bubbles,” Keck said. “But if we can equate fun with protection from viruses and spreading illness, then that’s okay. We’ll buy more soap if we need to.”
“We all understand and talk about how this is a help and a benefit to our lives and to the people around us,” she said.
Her nine-year-old daughter, Prudence, admits the shot is not her favorite.
“It’s a shot and it hurts a lot, but once it’s over, it’s over and you won’t have to feel the pain anymore. And you’re sort of glad that you won’t get sick again,” Prudence told NBC.
BENEFITS OF FLU SHOT
Studies show the influenza vaccine can reduce your risk of illness by up to 60%.
“The vaccine is effective,” said Dr. Tamara Sheffield, medical director at Utah’s Intermountain Health.
“Anyone ages six months and older can get an influenza vaccine and should.”
“Having seen how bad a viral respiratory illness can be, it just really gives me peace of mind to know we have options to protect our kids and protect others,” she added.
People who are immunocompromised, elderly, or with preexisting lung conditions are more at risk of severe illness from something that starts as a cold, as stated by The American Lung Association.
What to know about the flu shot
Who should get the flu shot
- Adults aged 65 and older
- Young children, especially those under 5
- Pregnant women
- People with chronic health conditions like asthma, heart disease, and diabetes
Potential side effects
- Soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given
- Mild headache or muscle aches
- Low-grade fever
- Nausea and fatigue
Sheffield explained that viruses mutate so it is important to get the vaccine according to the new strain.
“Every year, those respiratory viruses change, and we need to have a vaccine to protect us that has changed as well,” she said.
WHEN TO GET THE FLU SHOT
The CDC recommends that most people who need a single flu shot get vaccinated in September or October, aiming for everyone to be vaccinated by the end of October.
Some groups, like children ages 6 months to 8 years who need two doses, may get their first dose earlier (such as in July or August), if needed.
The CDC recommends vaccines for everyone in the month of September and October[/caption]
Pregnant women, people over 65, and others with higher-risk conditions are advised not to get vaccinated too early (well before September), because the protection from the vaccine may wane over time.
After vaccination, it takes about two weeks for antibodies to develop and for protection to begin.
Even after October, vaccination should continue through the flu season for as long as flu viruses are circulating.
