© Crown copyright 2009
Most children or young people will have no side effects.
If your child has increased breathlessness, swelling or a rash in the few days after vaccination contact your doctor or nurse.
Influenza vaccine
All children should have vaccinations for a variety of childhood illnesses at different ages. For example measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) Diphtheria, tetanus, polio, meningitis and whooping cough.
It is important that children with asthma have their flu vaccination. The advantages of getting your child vaccinated against flu include
– Less time off school for them and less time off work for you.
– Less likely to develop serious problems as a result of the flu virus.
– It will protect your child against this year’s flu strains.
In addition there is a new nasal spray vaccination to prevent flu which will be given to children over the age of 2.
There are some exceptions for the nasal spray. If your child has any of the following;
Children unable to have the nasal spray vaccine may be able to have the flu injection instead.
The flu virus changes from year to year so it is important to get a flu vaccination for your child every year. The vaccine will not give your child the flu, it may make them feel mildly under the weather for a few days after.
It is important to note that the flu vaccine will not stop your child catching coughs and cold. They may still have an asthma flare-up, follow your asthma action plan.
Pets – rabbits
Pets – cat
A good start is to restrict which rooms your pet is allowed in to. Living rooms and bedrooms which have a lot of fabrics and carpets will easily collect pet dander.
Use a damp cloth to dust hard surfaces and floors regularly to reduce build up of dust and dander.
You can never remove all pet hair and dander. Even the most efficient vacuum cleaner can’t remove all dander. It remains for weeks or sometimes months and can still cause symptoms despite regular cleaning, even after the pet has been removed.
Mac the Scottish terrier
A pet can be an important part of the family but what happens when your pet is making you or your families asthma worse?
Not everyone with asthma has an allergy but if you do, any pet with fur, feathers or small animals in cages can make allergies and asthma symptoms worse.
Your allergy is usually not to the pet but to their “dander”. This is the dead skin, saliva, urine, pollen or dust mites they pick up on their fur, feathers or in dusty or damp bedding of small animals. Droppings in cages can attract mould spores.
So is there anything you can do to reduce the risk?
Pets – cat
If exposure to pets is unavoidable:
Pets – rabbits
A good start is to restrict which rooms your pet is allowed in to. Avoid letting pets in to living rooms and bedrooms which have a lot of fabrics and carpets which will easily collect pet dander.
You can never remove all traces of dust mites. Use a damp cloth to dust hard surfaces and floors regularly to reduce build up of dust and dander.
You can never remove all pet hair and dander. Even the most efficient vacuum cleaner can’t remove all dander. It remains for months or sometimes years and can still cause symptoms despite regular cleaning, even after the pet has been removed.
© Crown copyright
A pet can be an important part of the family but what happens when your pet is making you or your families asthma worse?
Not everyone with asthma has an allergy but if you do, any pet with fur, feathers or small animals in cages can make allergies and asthma symptoms worse.
Your allergy is usually not to the pet but to their “dander”. This is the dead skin, saliva, urine, pollen or dust mites they pick up on their fur, feathers or in dusty or damp bedding of small animals. Droppings in cages can attract mould spores.
So is there anything you can do to reduce the risk?
How do you identify the source of your child’s breathlessness?
