Daycare News & Articles

Flu season is just getting into full swing. Make sure you know how to keep your family safe.

Drs. Carol Baker and William Schaffner eliminate conFLUsion about influenza.

What is influenza?
Although influenza can cause headache, cough, sore throat, and a stuffy/blocked nose, it's not the common cold. A cold can feel like a cake walk compared to the flu. Influenza is a serious viral infection that can spread quickly through a home, school or office and cause severe illness, like pneumonia and sometimes even death. It hits you very suddenly, usually with high fever, aches and chills. Children can also have ear aches, nausea and vomiting. It?s not pretty.

How bad can it really be?
You've heard the phrase 'hits you like a ton of bricks.' People use the word 'flu' loosely, often to describe a terrible cold or a stomach virus. But flu is more than an inconvenience; it can wipe you out and it can lead to some pretty severe complications. When a person has the flu, he/she will probably spend at least a few miserable days in bed, miss work and not be able to perform other normal day-to-day activities. You really don't feel well for about 2 weeks when you get influenza, and longer if you develop complications. Flu in children can be especially severe young kids are hospitalized as often, or more often, than any other group, including the elderly.

But nobody in my family has gotten the flu before. Why should I be worried?
If nobody in your family has gotten flu before, you've been very lucky and we are very jealous! But unless you plan on hibernating at home during flu season with your flu-free family, you're at risk like the rest of us. Some people mistakenly think that hand washing completely prevents influenza, but this virus travels not only on hands but in the air. The absolute best protection is annual vaccination.

Isn't it too late to be vaccinated?
Influenza is just rearing its ugly head in the U.S., so if you haven't already been vaccinated you can still do so. The flu typically peaks in February and cases can continue for many months after. Make some phone calls to see if your health care provider or other health centers in your area have flu vaccine, or use the flu clinic locator or flu shot finder. Note that children younger than 9 years of age who haven't been vaccinated before will need two vaccine doses at least one month apart for full protection.

Who should be vaccinated?
Basically anyone who doesn't want to get the flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention specifically recommends influenza vaccination for all children 6 months through 18 years of age. Everyone around a baby who is less than 6 months of age should get influenza vaccine to prevent what can be a deadly infection in the very young. Get vaccinated for the baby and get the benefit of protection for yourself. There's a great tool available on the Childhood Influenza Immunization Coalition's Web site called the Flu Risk Calculator, where you can input information about yourself and your family to find out who is recommended for vaccination.

Can I just chance getting sick?
Sure, but why? Influenza can really knock you for a loop. And many people, including children younger than five and anyone with chronic medical conditions, like asthma or diabetes, are at increased risk for complications. Chances are there's no reason you shouldn't get yourself and your family vaccinated, so ask about the flu vaccine.

But my family was vaccinated last year!
That's great but as with taxes, it's something you have to do every year. The influenza virus likes to reinvent itself each year, so the vaccine changes too to provide the best protection. Even if you are vaccinated early, protection lasts throughout the entire yearly influenza season.

What should I do if I get the flu?
If you suspect you or someone in your family has the flu, check with a doctor right away there are medications available that may be able to help you feel better faster if they are given in the first 2 days of illness.