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HEALTH CORNER
What is Influenza (Also Called Flu)?
The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccination each year.
Every year in the United States, on average:
5% to 20% of the population gets the flu;
more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications, and;
about 36,000 people die from flu.
Some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications.
Symptoms of Flu
Symptoms of flu include:
fever (usually high) headache extreme tiredness dry cough sore throat |
runny or stuffy nose muscle aches Stomach symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, also can occur but are more common in children than adults |
Complications of Flu
Complications of flu can include bacterial pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes.
How Flu Spreads
Flu viruses spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 days after becoming sick. That means that you may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick.
Preventing the Flu: Get Vaccinated
The single best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccination each year. There are two types of vaccines:
The "flu shot" – an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle. The flu shot is approved for use in people 6 months of age and older, including healthy people and people with chronic medical conditions.
The nasal-spray flu vaccine – a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu (sometimes called LAIV for “Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine”). LAIV is approved for use in healthy people 5 years to 49 years of age who are not pregnant.
About two weeks after vaccination, antibodies develop that protect against influenza virus infection. Flu vaccines will not protect against flu-like illnesses caused by non-influenza viruses.
When to Get Vaccinated
October or November is the best time to get vaccinated, but getting vaccinated in December or even later can still be beneficial since most influenza activity occurs in January or later in most years. Though it varies, flu season can last as late as May.
Who Should Get Vaccinated?
In general, anyone who wants to reduce their chances of getting the flu can get vaccinated. However, certain people should get vaccinated each year either because they are at high risk of having serious flu-related complications or because they live with or care for high risk persons. During flu seasons when vaccine supplies are limited or delayed, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) makes recommendations regarding priority groups for vaccination.
People who should get vaccinated each year are:
1. People at high risk for complications from the flu, including:
Children aged 6 months until their 5th birthday,
Pregnant women,
People 50 years of age and older,
People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions, and
People who live in nursing homes and other long term care facilities.
2. People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:
Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu (see above)
Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)
Health care workers.
3. Anyone who wants to decrease their risk of influenza.
Use of the Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine
Vaccination with the nasal-spray flu vaccine is an option for healthy persons aged 5-49 years who are not pregnant, even healthy persons who live with or care for those in a high risk group. The one exception is healthy persons who care for persons with severely weakened immune systems who require a protected environment; these healthy persons should get the inactivated vaccine.
Who Should Not Be Vaccinated
Some people should not be vaccinated without first consulting a physician. They include:
People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs.
People who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination in the past.
People who developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine previously.
Children less than 6 months of age (influenza vaccine is not approved for use in this age group).
People who have a moderate or severe illness with a fever should wait to get vaccinated until their symptoms lessen.
If you have questions about whether you should get a flu vaccine, consult your health-care provider.
When to Keep Kids Home?
By Gwenn Schurgin O’Keeffe, MD, FAAP
Your Childs’s Health, Parents and Kids and MetroWest Daily News
December 28, 2004
It never fails. One of your children gets sick when your spouse is away on business and you have a full schedule. The domino effect for a family with a sick child is enormous - home, work and school lives are all impacted and often at the least convenient times! To complicate matters, it can be difficult deciding when to keep a child home and when to forge ahead business as usual.
Sickness is a part of childhood, whether it's a fever, sore throat, cough or just not feeling well. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the typical child has 6 to 12 illnesses a year ranging from mild to severe. Illness can occur throughout the year, but tends to cluster in the winter due to flu season. These illnesses can seem to spread like wild fire affecting other students, teachers, and family members. Families and schools need to balance the child’s school attendance with the risk of spreading
the illness to others in the school. Sometimes even minor illnesses require the child to stay home just to prevent the further spread of a contagious disease.
In addition to consulting your pediatrician and school nurse, these tips can help you decide whether to keep your child at home:
**If your child complains of not feeling well but otherwise has no definite symptoms, your child can likely attend school. The school nurse will typically call you if something more develops. Be sure to contact your pediatrician if the complaints persist or other more definite sick symptoms develop.
**Fever is a symptom of illness and not an actual diagnosis. Fever usually indicates that the body is battling an infection. A child with a fever greater than 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit needs to stay home from school until the fever is gone for at least 24 hours. If the fever does not resolve in 2 to 3 days, or if your child appears sick with any fever, call your doctor to have your child evaluated.
**Many rashes will resolve spontaneously and are not reason alone to keep a child home from school. Any rash associated with symptoms such as trouble breathing or swallowing, fever, or ill appearance, should be evaluated by your physician. Rashes that are itchy or scaly may be contagious and should be evaluated before sending a child back to school.
**Cough alone may not prevent your child from attending school unless it is interfering with a child's sleep or ability to participate in school activities. If the cough is productive and has phlegm or is associated with fever or trouble breathing, keep your child home from school and arrange to have the child seen by their pediatrician.
**Stool problems do sometimes require a child to stay home from school. This is especially true with diarrhea where the stool frequency is often many times an hour. Diarrhea that is bloody or associated with fever, abdominal pain, or vomiting should be evaluated by your doctor.
**A child with vomiting, with or without diarrhea, needs to stay home from school. Your child can return to school when the symptoms have stopped and the child can tolerate a regular diet.
**Children can attend school with mild sore throats if no other symptoms are occurring. Any child with a sore throat associated with fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, or difficulty swallowing should be evaluated by a doctor before returning to school. Call your child’s school and ask if strep throat is going around; if so, have your child tested. A child with a diagnosis of strep throat needs to stay out of school until on antibiotics for 24 hours.
**If your child appears really sick, keep your child home and arrange an evaluation by your doctor that day. If you can't get through to your doctor and you are really concerned, either call 911 or bring your child to the nearest emergency room for evaluation.
**Call your doctor's office for advice if you are not sure about your child’s condition or have questions about whether your child should stay home from school. Physicians have an answering service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So, even after hours, you will be able to reach someone for assistance.
Many illnesses can be stopped before they spread by reminding everyone to practice frequent handwashing, blowing noses into tissues, covering mouths when coughing or sneezing, and asking other parents about sick symptoms in their kids before arranging playdates and carpools. If only it were so simple – even the best hygiene practices can’t avoid the spread of all winter illnesses. Sometimes staying home is the only way to benefit our kids, ourselves and our communities.
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All rights reserved. PEDIATRICS NOW is a trademark of Pediatrics Now.
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