Doctors: Get vaccinated against the flu before the holiday gatherings

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MADISON, Wisconsin – One-third of American parents are considering not vaccinating their children against the flu this season. This is according to a new study by C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Michigan.

In the survey, the top three reasons given by parents for not vaccinating their children were that they worried about side effects, that it was not working very well and that their child currently in good health was Did not need to be vaccinated.

Dr. Jeannina Smith is an infectious disease specialist at UW-Health and a mother herself.

"I have my children vaccinated against the flu because I think it will protect them," Smith said. "I never want to see them see complications from the flu, I would not do it if I really did not believe it and I would not do it for my patients either."

In Wisconsin, 379 people, including three children, died of flu-related systems last season. Health officials said more than 7,530 people had been hospitalized.

Health officials encourage you to get vaccinated against the flu before the next holidays. Smith says that it's not only important for you to get vaccinated against the flu, but also to protect those around you, especially children and the elderly.

"By vaccinating people with a healthy immune system, exactly the people who say that I do not need it, my immune system is healthy, you actually protect the whole society, including the members. the weakest, "said Smith. "It makes sense to me because I do not think any of us would want to hurt others, but we do it unconsciously when we transmit the flu."

Doctors say it's still too early to tell what this flu season will look like.