Parenting Advice From Your Physicians at Kaiser Permanente

Fall is here—which means it’s also time to get your family’s flu vaccine. As pediatricians and parents, we know how much you want your kids to stay healthy, active, and thriving. Getting the flu shot is a simple way to help keep them in school, in their extracurricular activities, and present for the moments that matter most. 

How the Flu Vaccine Helps Your Family 

The flu isn’t just about the rare serious outcomes you might hear about. More often, it means missed school days, disrupted sports and afterschool activities, time away from friends and family, and parents missing work to care for sick kids. A flu infection can drag on, keeping kids out of their routines—and spreading illness to siblings, classmates, and grandparents. 

The flu shot helps reduce these everyday risks. Even if your child does get the flu after being vaccinated, they’re likely to have a milder illness and recover faster. That means kids miss fewer days in the classroom, parents miss fewer days at work, and families are less likely to miss out on holiday gatherings. 

Flu Shot Questions We Hear Most Often 

We understand that some parents worry more about the risks of the vaccine than the flu itself. It’s true: while some kids are hospitalized with the flu and suffer serious complications, most kids who get the flu recover. But the reality is that the inconvenience, disruption, and stress of flu illness are far more common—and preventable. 

The flu vaccine is very safe. Side effects are usually mild and temporary, such as a sore arm or low-grade fever. The risks from the vaccine are much smaller than the risks of your child getting influenza illness. 

How Vaccines Work 

Vaccinations prepare children’s immune systems to recognize and resist contagious diseases, so they can keep growing, learning, and thriving. Think of it like this: 

• A computer update – Vaccines are like software that contains information to improve your child’s immune system. Just as a computer can recognize and stop a virus after receiving a software update, the body remembers how to respond to the flu – long after getting the vaccine. 

• Learning a language – Getting vaccinated is like learning to read. The vaccine is like a little book your child’s body practices with, so when it encounters the full “story” of the flu virus, it already knows how to read and respond. 

Protecting the Whole Community 

When your family gets the flu vaccine, you’re not just protecting your own kids—you’re also helping protect grandparents, babies too young for vaccines, and neighbors with health conditions that make them more vulnerable. 

The Bottom Line on The Flu Shot

We all want our kids to grow, learn, and enjoy the season ahead without unnecessary interruptions. The flu vaccine is safe, effective, and one of the easiest ways to help your whole family stay well—at home, at school, and in your community. As pediatricians, we encourage you to make your family’s flu shot part of your fall routine, so you can spend less time worrying about illness and more time enjoying the moments that matter most.