What is the flu?
Influenza (also called flu) is a virus that tin can crusade serious illness. It's more than just a runny nose and sore pharynx. It's actually important to protect babies and young children from the flu because it tin can brand them very sick. In rare cases, influenza can crusade death. In 2017, the flu caused a record number of deaths in children. Almost of the children who died didn't get a flu vaccine.
How does the flu spread?
The influenza spreads easily from person to person. When someone with the flu coughs, sneezes or speaks, the virus spreads through the air. Your baby tin can get infected with the flu if she breathes the virus in or if she touches something (like a toy) that has the flu virus on it so touches her olfactory organ, eyes or mouth.
People with the flu may be able to infect others from 1 day before they get sick up to 5 to 7 days after. People who are very sick with the flu or young children may be able to spread the influenza longer, particularly if they however have symptoms.
Does your child demand a flu vaccine every year?
Yes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (also called CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (besides chosen AAP) recommend that everyone half dozen months and older get the flu vaccine each twelvemonth. Information technology's especially important for children younger than v to get information technology considering they're more likely than older kids to have serious health problems caused by the flu. The influenza tin be dangerous for all children, even healthy children.
The all-time mode to protect your kid from the flu is to make sure he gets a flu vaccine each year before flu season (October through May). Even though your child'south more than likely to get the flu during influenza season, he tin become information technology any fourth dimension of year.
In that location are ii ways for your kid to become the flu vaccine:
- Flu shot. Children 6 months and older can get the influenza shot.
- Flu nasal spray. This is a spray your kid'southward provider puts in your kid's nose. Nearly children 2 years or older can get the influenza nasal spray. Only information technology's not recommended for children who take sure health conditions, like asthma, center and lung bug, or a weak immune system that doesn't protect him well from infection. The flu nasal spray besides isn't recommended for children who take certain medicines for a long time, similar aspirin (called long-term aspirin therapy).
The first time your baby gets the influenza vaccine, he gets two doses to give him the all-time protection from the flu. Your kid gets i dose of the vaccine every year subsequently.
If yous're not certain which vaccine is best for your kid, ask his health care provider. Visit flu.gov to acquire more about influenza vaccines.
The flu vaccine is safe for nearly children, even babies built-in prematurely (before 37 weeks of pregnancy). But if your kid had a bad reaction to the flu vaccine in the past, tell his provider. The provider may want to watch your child closely after getting the vaccine to cheque for a reaction. If your kid is allergic to eggs, talk to his provider to make up one's mind if information technology's OK to get the influenza vaccine. Some flu vaccines are made from eggs.
There are many unlike flu viruses, and they're always irresolute. Each twelvemonth a new flu vaccine is made to protect against iii or four flu viruses that are probable to make people sick during the upcoming flu season. With the vaccine, protection from the flu lasts well-nigh a year, so it'southward of import to get your kid vaccinated each year. Yous go the vaccine from his provider or from other places, like pharmacies, that offer information technology. Use the HealthMap Vaccine Finder to find out where you tin get a influenza vaccine for your kid.
Are some children more likely to have serious health issues caused by influenza than others?
Yes. Babies and children younger than 5 years old—and especially those younger than 2 years old-- are more than probable than older children to have complications from the flu. Premature babies besides are at increased gamble of serious complications from flu. The CDC recommends that premature babies get well-nigh vaccines, including the flu vaccine, according to their chronological historic period (the fourth dimension since birth). Even if a infant is born small or with a low birthweight, she tin get her vaccine at the same time as other babies who are the same age. If y'all have a premature infant, talk your baby's provider to make certain your infant gets the influenza vaccine on fourth dimension. Children with chronic health atmospheric condition, like asthma, center disease or claret disorders, besides are at high run a risk of flu complications.
What wellness bug can flu cause in children?
Complications from influenza in children younger than 5 years former include:
- Making chronic wellness atmospheric condition, like heart illness or asthma, worse
- Encephalon issues, similar encephalopathy. Encephalopathy is any brain illness that affects the brain's structure or how the brain works.
- Aridity. This means non having enough h2o in your trunk.
- Pneumonia. This is an infection in one or both lungs.
- Sinus problems and ear infections. Sinuses are hollow air spaces inside the bones around the olfactory organ. Sinus infections can happen when fluid builds upward in the sinuses.
- Death. Flu complications tin can sometimes lead to death, but this is rare.
What are signs and symptoms that your baby has the influenza?
Signs of a condition are things someone else can run across or know nearly yous, similar you have a rash or yous're coughing. Symptoms are things yous feel yourself that others can't see, similar having a sore throat or feeling dizzy. If your babe has any of these signs and symptoms of the influenza, call his wellness intendance provider right away or take him to come across his provider:
- Existence very tired or sleepy (as well called fatigue)
- Cough
- Fever (100 F or above), chills or torso shakes. Not everyone who has the influenza has a fever.
- Headache, or musculus or body aches
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Sore throat
- Vomiting (throwing up) or diarrhea
The flu frequently comes on quickly. Fever and well-nigh other signs and symptoms tin can final a week or longer. While your baby can't tell yous how she'south feeling, babies who take the influenza often are sicker, fussier and seem more than uncomfortable and unhappy than babies with a common cold. If you think your baby has the flu even if she got a flu vaccine, call her health care provider.
If your baby has whatever of these signs or symptoms, take her to a infirmary emergency room:
- Being and so fussy that she doesn't want to be held
- Bluish color of lips or face
- Chronic wellness conditions, like asthma, get worse
- Fast animate, trouble breathing, chest pain or ribs pulling in with each breath
- Fever in a baby younger than 12 weeks old, fever to a higher place 104 F in older babies or children, or fever with a rash
- Fever or cough that gets better but then returns and gets worse
- Having seizures. A seizure is when the whole torso or parts of the body movement without control.
- Not drinking enough fluids or not making every bit much urine every bit she normally does. If your baby doesn't make urine for 8 hours, has a dry mouth or doesn't make tears when crying, she may be dehydrated.
- Not waking upward, or not being alert or interacting with you when she is awake
- Severe muscle pain. It may exist so astringent your child tin't walk.
- Vomiting (throwing up) that'due south severe or doesn't cease
How is influenza treated in babies and children?
Your baby'south provider may prescribe an antiviral medicine to prevent or treat the flu. An antiviral is a medicine that kills infections caused by viruses. Antivirals can make your baby'southward flu milder and help your baby feel better faster. Antivirals besides can help foreclose serious influenza complications, like a lung infection called pneumonia. For flu, antivirals piece of work all-time if used within 2 days of having signs or symptoms.
If your baby is at high risk for flu, his provider may prescribe an antiviral every bit soon as he begins to have flu symptoms. All children younger than 5 are at high risk for influenza, especially children younger than 2. Children who were built-in prematurely or who have chronic health conditions, like asthma or sickle cell affliction, also are at high gamble.
Three medicines are canonical in the United States for preventing or treating the flu in children:
- Oseltamivir (Tamiflu®) for children as immature as 2 weeks. This medicine comes as a capsule or liquid.
- Zanamivir (Relenza®) for children at least v years onetime. This medicine is a powder that your child breathes in by mouth. It isn't recommended for people with breathing problems, like asthma.
- Peramivir (Rapivab®) for children at least ii years old. This medicine is given through a needle into a vein (likewise chosen Four) by a health care provider.
If your child has the flu, aid him go lots of balance and drink plenty of fluids. He may not want to eat much. Effort giving him small meals to assistance his torso get better.
If your infant seems uncomfortable from a fever, ask her provider if you lot can give her baby'south or children's acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or ibuprofen (Motrin® or Advil®). Don't requite her aspirin without checking with her health care provider. Aspirin can cause a rare merely life-threatening liver disorder chosen Reye syndrome in children with certain illnesses, such as colds, the flu and chickenpox.
If your baby has a cough or a cold, don't give her over-the-counter cough and common cold medicine. These are medicines you tin can buy without a prescription from a health intendance provider. AAP says these medicines can cause serious wellness problems for children. Talk to your baby's provider before you give your baby whatsoever kind of medicine.
How tin can y'all terminate the flu from spreading?
Everyone 6 months and older needs to get a flu vaccine. This means you, specially if you have or have care of a infant younger than 6 months. Getting a flu vaccine can help keep yous from spreading the flu.
If yous or your child has the flu, yous tin can spread information technology to others. Hither's how to help prevent the flu from spreading:
- Keep your child habitation from day care, school or army camp for at least 24 hours after her fever (100 F or higher) is gone. The fever should be gone without using a medicine that lowers fever.
- Avoid contact with other people.
- Don't kiss your baby and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Teach your child to cough or sneeze into a tissue or his arm. Throw used tissues in the trash.
- Launder your easily with lather and water before and later caring for your baby. You as well can use booze-based hand sanitizers. Utilise enough hand sanitizer and so that it takes at least xv seconds for your hands to dry out.
- Clean surfaces and toys that may have the flu virus on them.
- Utilize hot, soapy h2o or a dishwasher to make clean your baby's dishes and utensils.
- Don't share whatever of your baby'south dishes, glasses, utensils or his toothbrush.
More information
Flu.gov
See too: Influenza and pregnancy, Your baby's vaccinations
Last reviewed: September, 2019
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