BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - To vaccinate or not to vaccinate, that is the question that parents are asking this flu season.
"Yes I get it for both my children and myself and my husband; it's just a way to prevent even a bit even one of the flu strands," said Bakersfield mom Shannon Boren. "I think it's a preventative way to help your children out."
Some say the vaccine is preventative, while others say it just makes kids sick.
"I don't understand the point in injecting yourself with the flu virus if you're just going to be sick from it anyways," said Sean Abney.
Experts say though there is speculation among parents, the flu vaccine is still recommended for children.
"You should get the vaccination. Why? Because the vaccination not only protects the child it also protects whoever is around the child," said Dr. Fernando Fan, a pediatrician at Kaiser Permanente.
Dr. Fernando Fan is a pediatrician and a parent. He vaccinates his children, and admits that the flu vaccine can make patients feel as though they've gotten sick. But he says that means it's working.
"This year I had muscle aches for a few days after i got my flu shot and I couldn't figure out why I was a little tired for a couple days," said Dr. Fan. "Then I thought, oh, it's the vaccine. So it's your body's immune system kind of revving up which is good. It only took a couple days."
This year the Centers for Disease Control started recommending for children ages two to eight to receive the nasal spray flu vaccine because it can increase efficacy.
"The flu mist protects you in the mucus membranes, so tear duct area, eyes, nose, mouth. These are the places that the virus gets into your body. And so it will protect there, take out the virus, and then sometimes even before the virus makes you start to get sick," said Dr. Fan. "Whereas the shot will protect you once it gets into your body which you know may be a step behind."
Whether nasal spray, flu shot, or nothing at all, Dr. Fan says parents always should have the final decision.
For those parents who do decide to vaccinate their children, San Joaquin Community Hospital has free child immunizations starting today for the entire month of October. For more information call 869-6740.