Swine Flu Vaccine and Antiviral Drugs for Kids

Risks and Benefits of H1N1 Flu Shot and Tamiflu for Children

Nov 7, 2009

What are the pros and cons of getting the swine flu vaccine to protect kids from the H1N1 flu? Are there antiviral drugs for kids to treat the swine flu? Find out here.

Many parents don’t know if they want to give their child the swine flu vaccine. If a child does get sick with the swine flu, there is the possibility a doctor might recommend antiviral drugs. Here is information for parents to learn about the medical options available to them.

Benefits of Child Getting the H1N1 Flu Vaccine

Health authorities in both the US and Canada are recommending that people get the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine. It’s seen as the best way to protect a child from getting the swine flu. Children who are six months of age or older can get the swine flu vaccine. Because babies under six months are not recommended to get the vaccine, caregivers and those in close contact with such infants are recommended to get the shot. After getting the H1N1 flu vaccine, a child will have some immunity to the 2009 H1N1 flu strain within about 10 days.

Risks of Taking Swine Flu Vaccine for Children

A child might have some side effects from getting the H1N1 flu vaccine, but they cannot get the swine flu from the vaccine. A child can have a reaction to a vaccine, but side effects are usually mild for most people. Common side effects include headache, muscle or joint pain and redness and swelling at the injection site. Younger kids might also experience, to a mild degree, a fever, drowsiness, irritability and loss of appetite.

There is a one in 100,000 chance that a child could have a serious reaction to the flu vaccine. These rare conditions include anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction) and Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), which is a disorder that affects the peripheral nervous system.

Deciding Whether to Get the H1N1 Flu Vaccine for Kids

Parents have to decide whether the risks of the side effects from the vaccine outweigh the risks of serious illness due to the swine flu. Generally, the chances of getting ill from the swine flu are much higher than the chances of a child becoming ill from getting a vaccine.

Benefits for Child With Swine Flu to Take Antiviral Drugs

A doctor has to prescribe antiviral medication and it can be used to treat a child with either the seasonal flu or the 2009 H1N1 flu. Antivirals are like antibiotics, but instead of fighting off infections, they fight against a virus. They can’t make a person immune to the virus but they can help by reducing flu symptoms, making recovery time shorter and they might be able to protect against more serious complications. The generic names for these drugs are oseltamivir and zanamivir, otherwise known by the brand names Tamiflu and Relenza.

Children can take these drugs, even those under the age of one, but not everyone is a suitable candidate. It’s important to talk to a doctor about the health and background of each child to see if these drugs are the best course of action for that individual child. It’s also important to note that in order for them to be effective, a person has to take them within 48 hours after he or she started to have symptoms.

Side Effects of Swine Flu Antiviral Drugs

All medications can have possible side effects, and antiviral drugs are no different. People who take the antiviral called oseltamivir (which can be given to kids of all ages) can experience the following most common side effects:

It is rare, but there is a possibility that a person can suffer from the following reactions after taking the antiviral drug oseltamivir:

Viruses can change and adapt as well, thus becoming resistant to antiviral drugs. That means that antiviral drugs that target the H1N1 flu virus can become ineffective over time, when it comes to helping a patient with his or her symptoms.

There are risks and benefits associated with getting the H1N1 flu vaccine to protect kids from the swine flu and with giving kids sick with the swine flu antiviral medication. There are side effects with both the vaccine and the antivirals, and there are also health risks for kids when it comes to getting the swine flu virus. Parents need to read up on the topic, speak with their doctor and make the best decision for themselves and their family.

Public Health Agency of Canada. Information on Children Less Than Five Years of Age and the H1N1 Flu Virus., October 21, 2009.

The copyright of the article Swine Flu Vaccine and Antiviral Drugs for Kids in Ethics & Parenting is owned by Tamiko Nicholson. Permission to republish Swine Flu Vaccine and Antiviral Drugs for Kids in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.