1 in 3 Parents Want to Skip Their Children's Flu Shots Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, Study Says

By Dana Cruz Sep 28 2020, 05:45 AM EDT

One in three parents is not planning on giving flu shots to their kids despite the possibility of children catching the deadly COVID-19.

COVID-19 and the flu — Marcelo Hernandez/Getty Images

According to the National Poll of Children's Health released on Monday, 32 percent of the parents in their poll said it is unlikely to get flu shots this year, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some 42 percent of the parents are worried about the side effects of flu shots. Meanwhile, 40 percent of the parents think it is not needed, and 32 percent think it's not effective.

The scare of getting COVID-19 from health care sites was also a worry for 14 percent of the respondents to the study.

Despite advice from experts and the government that flu shots are important amid the pandemic, two-thirds of parents think it is not, the CNN reported.

Your Most Important Flu Shot

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said children younger than five years old are at high risk of serious flu complications. This is especially riskier for children younger than the age of two.

CDC added that getting a flu shot is important during the pandemic, and it might be the most important ever.

This year could be a double whammy season for both the flu and COVID-19, said Medical Xpress. The nation is currently faced by two viruses that nearly the same set of symptoms.

It is most worrisome now that schools are reopening and children may get in contact with infected peers during in-person classes.

"We may see peaks of flu and COVID-19 at the same time, which could overwhelm the health care system," said Sarah Clark, associate director of the poll, in a statement.

The poll was conducted by C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.

The nation's leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, is also stressing the importance of flu shots this year.

"You should get it no later than the end of October," he said in a CNN report. He noted that if a flu shot was ready to be taken, get it immediately.

"Don't wait until any time beyond October," he added.

The Dangers of the Flu

Children suffer from the flu every year, and there are child deaths from flu every year. Last year, there were 188 pediatric flu deaths reported during the 2019-2020 flu season.

According to CDC, there could be even more flu-related deaths because many were not reported.

For instance, the 188 children also died from the disease in the 2017-2018 flu season. But statistical modeling showed about 600 children died from it.

The flu is much more serious than any common cold, the CDC warns. Many children have to go to the hospital because of it. In fact, the number of children sent to hospitals because of influenza each year range from 7,000 to 26,000.

Besides death, CDC also warned about some serious complication brought by the flu:

Encephalopathy, or the swelling of the brain
Dehydration, which can also be deadly if the child loses too much water and salts
Pneumonia, which kills a child every 39 seconds, according to UNICEF
Worsening of asthma or heart disease, and other existing medical problems
Increased chance of ear or sinus infections and problems