At what age should children begin receiving the annual influenza vaccine?

Children should begin receiving the annual influenza vaccine starting at 6 months of age. This recommendation is based on guidelines established by health organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

At this age, infants have a developing immune system that benefits from vaccination against influenza, a virus that can lead to severe respiratory illness, especially in young children. The influenza vaccine is particularly important for young children because they are at higher risk of complications from the virus.

By vaccinating beginning at 6 months, healthcare providers aim to protect children during the flu season, which can vary in severity from year to year. As children grow, they will continue to receive the vaccine annually to sustain immunity and adapt to the circulating strains of the virus.

Starting vaccination at an earlier age, such as 3 months or 9 months, is not recommended due to insufficient evidence on the effectiveness of the vaccine at these ages. Similarly, while children are also given recommended vaccinations at 12 months, this is too late to begin administering the annual influenza vaccine as children should already have begun receiving it by that time.