That Flu Shot May Save Your Child's Life, CDC Study Says

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The flu vaccine significantly reduces a child's risk of dying from the flu, according to a new study from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A family from New Jersey knows how serious the illness can be.

Jennifer Miller cherishes spending time with her daughter Caroline after almost losing her in 2012. Late that December, Jennifer thought her five-year-old was having an asthma attack.

"I was breathing really loudly kind of thing like it was kind of hard to breathe," said Caroline Miller who recovered from the flu.

She was diagnosed with flu and pneumonia. Within 36 hours, she was on a ventilator and fighting for her life. The Millers usually got annual flu shots but life was busy and they just didn't get around to it.

"It's tremendous guilt," said Jennifer. "She couldn't make her own appointment. That was my responsibility."

A new study in the Journal Pediatrics shows the majority of children who die from the flu are not vaccinated.

Researchers studied 291 pediatric flu deaths between 2010 and 2014.

Three-quarters of the children who died did not have the vaccine and 2/3 of kids with underlying health problems were not vaccinated.

"Those children are more likely to have severe influenza if they do get sick and more likely to die," said Epidemiologist Dr. Brendan Flannery.

Jennifer's daughter suffers from mild asthma.

"Not getting her flu shot was by far the greatest parenting mistake and really the greatest mistake I have ever made in my life," said Jennifer.

She now works with the group Families Fighting Flu and has made it her mission to make sure this doesn't happen to other families.

It's recommended that everyone six months and older get an annual flu vaccine.

Click here to read more about the flu.