Flu Shots Cut Children’s Risk of Flu Death by 80%, and October Is the Time to Get One

Pediatric flu vaccination rates have dropped steadily since 2021, even as the flu has taken a growing toll on children. During the 2024-2025 season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 280 flu-related deaths in children. That was the highest number for a nonpandemic season since child deaths began to be tracked nationally in 2004.

Moses Olorunnisola, M.D., a pediatrician at Hackensack Meridian K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center and Southern Ocean Medical Center, spoke with The Educated Patient about why parents hesitate and what they should know this season.

Misinformation and the “just the flu” myth

Olorunnisola said vaccine misinformation tops the list of reasons parents delay or skip the flu shot. Many families get health information from social media and friends. Others worry about side effects or view the flu as a minor illness.

“But being healthy doesn’t make a child immune to a severe outcome from the flu,” he said.

Research supports his point. A study in Pediatrics found that flu vaccination reduced the risk of flu-related death in U.S. children and adolescents by 80% between the 2016 and 2025 seasons. More than half of the pediatric flu deaths in that study occurred in children with no known high-risk conditions.

Some young children need 2 doses

Children ages 6 months through 8 years who are getting a flu vaccine for the first time need two doses, given at least four weeks apart. After that first series, they need just one dose each season. Olorunnisola recommends getting the first dose as soon as possible so the second dose isn’t delayed.

Symptoms that call for prompt care

Olorunnisola urged parents to seek care right away if a child shows signs of trouble breathing, such as rapid breathing, a belly that pulls in and out with each breath, or lips that turn blue or gray. Signs of severe dehydration include refusing to drink, going seven or eight hours without urinating and very dry lips. Extreme sleepiness, confusion or difficulty waking can signal encephalitis, a serious complication.

He added that parents should trust their gut. “I always tell parents that your instincts are also important,” he said.

Protection takes time to build

The body can take up to two weeks to build antibodies after a flu shot, and Olorunnisola said he has already started seeing flu cases in his office.

“Don’t panic, but don’t keep waiting,” he said. “It’s never too late to do it. October is a great month to get your child vaccinated.”