How a kid's birth month could influence their chances of getting the flu

Parents of kids under the age of 5 often plan their child's annual checkup around the time of the kid's birthday, and researchers behind a new study hypothesized that this timing may influence who gets a flu shot. And that's exactly what they found: Kids whose birthdays fall between September and December — when flu shots first become available — had higher rates of flu vaccination than those whose birthday were in earlier months of the year. Children born during the last quarter of the year were also less likely to be diagnosed with flu. Kids born outside this window may be less likely to return to the doctor's office just for a flu shot, and so the researchers suggest other avenues, including preschools and pharmacies, for vaccinating this group.