Mission: To save lives and reduce hospitalizations by protecting children, families, and communities against influenza.
Flu & Teens

Dangers of Flu in Teens

Flu severity varies each season, but each year millions of adolescents get sick, thousands are hospitalized, and some even die from flu.

Luke eventually recovered from flu after 12 days in a coma and 30 days in the hospital.

Read Luke's Story

HOSPITALIZATION

Even otherwise healthy teens can fall victim to flu and find themselves hospitalized with flu complications that can lead to lifelong health issues. 

DEATH

On average, over 100 children under the age of 18 die from the flu and its complications every year in the U.S. To date, close to 2,000 children have lost their lives to flu since 2004;2 80% were not vaccinated and approximately half were otherwise healthy.3

Will was a college athlete whose flu illness progressed to diabetic ketoacidosis, causing him to lose his life in less than three days.

Read Will's Story


Benefits of Flu Vaccination in Teens

 

doctor visits reduce 40-60% with flu vaccination

Flu vaccination reduces risk of flu illnesses.

In seasons when the vaccine viruses are well matched to circulating strains, flu vaccine has been shown to reduce the risk of having to go to the doctor with flu by 40-60 percent.


 

Flu vaccination reduces the risk of flu-associated hospitalization.

A 2014 study shows that flu vaccine can reduce a child’s risk of admission into a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission by 74%.


 

Flu vaccination can save your child’s life.

A 2017 study shows that flu vaccination significantly reduces a child’s risk of dying from influenza. Among healthy children, flu vaccination reduces risk of death from influenza by 65%. Among children with underlying high-risk medical conditions, flu vaccination reduces risk of death from influenza by 51%.


 

Flu vaccination reduces the spread of flu.

Getting children vaccinated helps ensure they don’t spread flu to others who are vulnerable to serious flu illness, like infant siblings too young to be vaccinated, immunocompromised classmates, older family members or people with certain chronic health conditions.

Reduce the Spread of Influenza

To read the stories of children who have been hospitalized or died from flu, visit our Story Gallery.

Which flu vaccines are recommended for adolescents?

There are two different types of vaccines that are recommended for adolescents:

Flu Shot Vaccine

Flu shots:

Flu shots are administered as an injection made with inactivated (killed) flu virus and are approved for use in children 6 months and older.

Flu Nasal Mist Vaccine

Image source: CDC, Douglas Jordan, M.A., image provider.

Nasal spray for teens without asthma: 

A nasal spray vaccine is approved for use in people ages 2-49, with the exception of people who have certain underlying medical conditions such as asthma. Learn more about precautions against the use of nasal spray flu vaccine here. 


 


 

Visit these other pages to learn more:

Page last reviewed: November 2021. 

Stay Informed
Sign up for our Weekly Flu News and quarterly newsletter, Fighting Influenza, to stay up-to-date on the latest flu news.
Newsletter

LOGO LICENSE AGREEMENT

You are required to accept all of the terms and conditions in this License Agreement in order to receive a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-assignable, royalty-free license to use the FAMILIES FIGHTING FLU, INC. logo, displayed below (the “FFF Logo”), from Families Fighting Flu, Inc. (“FFF”). In order to accept these terms and conditions, you must click the “I Accept” button below.

  1. FFF hereby grants to you, and you accept, a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-assignable, royalty-free license to use the FFF Logo, which you may download and use solely in online and print earned media publications for a period of no more than six (6) months in the United States.
  2. You acknowledge that the FFF Logo is a valid trademark; that FFF is the sole owner of the FFF Logo; and that FFF retains all right, title, and interest in and to the FFF Logo. You agree that any and all use that you make of the FFF Logo, and any and all goodwill arising from your use of the FFF Logo, shall inure exclusively to the benefit of FFF.  You also agree that you shall not challenge the validity of the FFF Logo or FFF’s ownership or title thereto during the term of the License Agreement or thereafter.
  3. You agree that you shall use the FFF Logo only in the form shown above, and that you shall not alter, modify, change, or edit the FFF Logo in any manner.
  4. You acknowledge the valuable goodwill and reputation in the FFF Logo, and that it is essential that the high standards and reputation associated with the FFF Logo be maintained. You therefore agree to use the FFF Logo consistent with the highest standards of quality so as to protect and maintain the FFF Logo and FFF’s rights therein.
  5. FFF shall have the right to review and inspect your use of the FFF Logo at any time. FFF, in its sole discretion, may determine that you are not using the FFF Logo in an acceptable manner and require that you discontinue your use of the FFF Logo.  To the extent that FFF requires that you discontinue your use of the FFF Logo, you agree that you shall remove the FFF Logo from all online and print earned media publications as soon as practicable under the circumstances, and that you shall not use the FFF at any time in the future.
  6. You must include the following notice in connection with any use of the FFF Logo: “The Families Fighting Flu, Inc. logo is the registered trademark of Families Fighting Flu, Inc.”
I Accept