Immunization is best defense against influenza

With fall officially here, it’s time to prepare to combat this year’s influenza (the “flu”).

Emphasize to your children that they should wash their hands frequently (or use liquid hand sanitizers) at school and at home and to cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze in order to prevent the spread of the influenza virus.

Flu is a highly contagious viral infection of the upper respiratory system that peaks in its number of cases in the winter season. An estimated 10 to 20 percent of the population in the U.S. contracts the flu each year.

Symptoms of the flu, which affects the nose, bronchial tubes and lungs, can include a high fever, muscle aches, sore throat and a nonproductive cough.

While the flu can make people of any age ill, young children and people over 65 are generally the age groups hit the hardest during flu season. The majority of adults and children have symptoms for only a few days, while others may experience a much more serious illness. In the worst case scenarios, the flu can lead to pneumonia and/or death.

Vaccination is the best way to prevent the disease and, contrary to public opinion, is safe. Flu shots are recommended for high-risk children (those with lung, blood, kidney and immune system diseases) and for adults, especially those who have close contact with high-risk children.

Flu Shots

There will be plenty of flu vaccine early on this season, which is good because February is the peak month for influenza.

Even though supplies will be abundant, the following groups of high-risk people still fall at the top of the priority list as vaccine recipients:

Children 6-23 months.
People 2-64 with chronic health conditions.
Household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children ages younger than 6 months.
People 65 years and older, with and without chronic health conditions.
Residents of long-term care facilities.
Pregnant women.
Health-care personnel who provide direct patient care.

FluMist nasal vaccine option

If you or your child are not in a high-risk group, are between the ages of 2 and 49 years, and you would like to get vaccinated against the flu without receiving a shot, then you can ask your healthcare professional about receiving FluMist, the nasal spray flu vaccine.

What are the symptoms of the flu?

The flu is called a respiratory disease, but the whole body seems to suffer when a child has it. Children usually become suddenly ill with any, or all, of the following symptoms. However, each child may experience symptoms differently:

fever, which may be as high as 103° F to 105° F
aches and pains
not feeling well "all over"
headache
cough that is nonproductive
sore throat
stuffy nose
nausea
vomiting
diarrhea
fatigue

Most people recover from the flu within a week, but may be left feeling exhausted for as long as three to four weeks.

The symptoms of influenza may resemble other conditions or medical problems. Always consult your child's physician for a diagnosis.

Treatment for the flu

Specific treatment for the flu will be determined by your child’s physician based on:

your child’s age, overall health, and medical history
extent of the disease
your child’s tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
expectations for the course of the disease
your opinion or preference

The goal of treatment for the flu is to help prevent or decrease the severity of symptoms. There is no cure for the flu. Treatment may include:

Medications to relieve aches and fever (Aspirin should not be given to children with a fever without first consulting your child’s physician.) The drug of choice for children would be acetaminophen (Tylenol)
Medications used for congestion and nasal discharge
Bed rest
Increased fluid intake
Medication for your child’s cough may be prescribed by your child's physician after a thorough evaluation
Antiviral medications — the medications may help to shorten the duration of the illness and decrease the severity of the flu, but they do not cure the flu. They must be started very shortly after symptoms begin.

There are also new medications:

amantadine
oseltamivir
rimantadine

These medications may help to shorten the duration of the illness (if taken very early in the illness) and decrease the severity of the flu, but they do not cure the flu. Amantadine and oseltamivir are approved for children older than 1 year; rimantadine is approved only for children older than 14 years of age.