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It鈥檚 fall, which means that along with going back to school, there鈥檚 something else your child needs to do: get a flu shot.

Every year, I have lots of conversations with parents about the influenza vaccine. Most of them are happy to have their child get it (and I am equally happy to give it). But some of them are hesitant. They don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 necessary, and some worry about its safety.

Before I talk about why it鈥檚 necessary, let鈥檚 be clear: the flu shot is safe. With any vaccine or other medical treatment side effects are always possible, of course. But the most common side effects of the flu shot are soreness where it was given and some mild fever or achiness for a day or two. Allergic reactions are incredibly rare. Some people with very severe egg allergies may need to avoid it, as do people who have had an allergic reaction to it in the past, but those people are few and far between.

Also, the flu shot cannot give you the flu, as some people seem to think. It鈥檚 not possible. The virus is killed. We give the flu shot during flu season, and it takes a week or two to take effect, so it鈥檚 possible to catch the flu during that period. It鈥檚 also not 100% effective 鈥� last year鈥檚 shot was about 60% effective 鈥� so it鈥檚 also possible to get the shot and still get the flu. But if you do, chances are you will get a milder case. The shot is the only option this year, as it turns out that the nasal spray wasn鈥檛 effective.

Here鈥檚 why you child absolutely should get the flu shot:

1. The flu can make you very sick. and some of them die. The flu can be particularly dangerous for the very young, the very old, and people with health problems, like asthma. Even if you don鈥檛 get that sick, you can be really miserable and for a long time. Just because nobody in your family has gotten the flu before doesn鈥檛 mean it can鈥檛 happen this year.
2. Your child can make other people sick. Let鈥檚 face it, kids aren鈥檛 always great about washing their hands or covering their coughs. They also tend to hang out in groups and have physical contact and share toys and otherwise spread germs among themselves and others. This is a really important point that too often gets missed: when it comes to the flu shot, it isn鈥檛 just about you and your child. Your child might weather the flu fine, but she could easily pass it to someone who doesn鈥檛 weather it fine at all 鈥� like a newborn, or someone on chemotherapy for cancer, or someone with lung disease. Especially given that the flu shot doesn鈥檛 offer perfect protection, the best way to keep more people protected is to give it to more people. That way, the chances of anyone getting sick go down.

To learn more about the flu and the flu shot, check out . It has everything you need to know. And talk to your doctor if you have any particular concerns about your child or your situation. But please, get your child immunized. Take care of your child 鈥� and of everyone around you.