Around 1/3 of parents in 2018 chose not to vaccinate their children against influenza, often because of misinformation. Some parents do not vaccinate because they think the vaccine can cause influenza. The flu shot (inactivated influenza vaccine [IIV]) is made of tiny pieces of the flu virus and cannot cause flu any more than a steering wheel and a tailpipe can drive down the street. The nasal spray vaccine (live attenuated influenza virus [LAIV]) can cause mild flu symptoms, but no one has to use this vaccine unless they choose to. It is true that the flu vaccine is not 100% effective. In most years, the vaccine prevents between 50% and 90% of flu infections and a bit less for children < 2 y. However, not vaccinating for this reason is like not wearing seat belts because they do not prevent 100% of motor vehicle injuries. Click the bio link at our Instagram post https://ja.ma/2LNDQ2M for a full discussion.
