Nothing to Sneeze At – How to Help Children Stay Safe During Influenza Season

Enterovirus D68 and Ebola have dominated the news as of late, overshadowing the fact that we are rapidly approaching flu season, which usually runs from November to May.

While enterovirus D68 cases are on the decline, and the likelihood that a child will contract and die from Ebola in this country is low, the unfortunate truth is that a number of U.S. children still die of the flu each year. During last year’s flu season, 108 pediatric deaths were reported in the U.S., and this number has remained disturbingly similar over each of the past four influenza seasons.

Anyone can get influenza, but the elderly and young children are most susceptible to severe infection. Children most at risk for developing serious flu complications include those with underlying medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, disorders of the brain or nervous system, and those with multiple medical problems. Even healthy kids can die from the flu, which can be preventable.

According to the CDC, nearly 80{06cf2b9696b159f874511d23dbc893eb1ac83014175ed30550cfff22781411e5} of pediatric deaths from the flu last season occurred in children who were not fully vaccinated. That’s why getting your child vaccinated against the flu is the single most important thing you can do to protect them from this infection. Having your child vaccinated also protects others in your family, such as grandparents and young infants, who aren’t able to be vaccinated.

Similar to last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending that everyone 6 months of age and older be vaccinated, unless their doctor recommends against it because of a life-threatening allergy to the flu vaccine or any of its ingredients. People with a history of a specific severe paralytic illness (known as Guillain-Barré syndrome) should talk to their doctor before getting a flu vaccine. Also, the CDC says that babies and children ages 6 months to 8 years old will require two shots if it is a child’s first time getting a flu vaccine. However, only one shot is needed if children were vaccinated last year.

• The trivalent flu vaccine protects against three flu-virus strains — two influenza A strains and one influenza B strain. The following trivalent flu vaccines are available this season:

– Standard-dose ‘shots’ that are manufactured using virus grown in eggs. These are approved for people ages 6 months and older. There are different brands of this type of vaccine available.

– Additionally, certain brands exist that do not use eggs to grow the virus. Be sure to ask your healthcare provider about these vaccine brands if you have an allergy to eggs.

– The quadrivalent flu vaccine protects against four flu virus strains — two influenza A strains and two influenza B strains. The following quadrivalent flu vaccines will be available:

– A standard-dose ‘shot.’ One brand is approved for people 6 months of age and older, while two other brands are approved for those 3 years and older.

– A standard-dose nasal spray is approved for healthy, non-pregnant people age 2 through 49.

For the 2014-15 flu season, there has been a change in the official recommendations for the use of the nasal-spray vaccine (LAIV) in children. The nasal-spray vaccine is now the preferred method for vaccinating healthy children from 2 through 8 years of age. This new recommendation is based upon recent studies suggesting that the nasal-spray flu vaccine may work better than the flu shot in younger children.

Exceptions to this new recommendation include children (1) on a daily aspirin regimen, (2) with a history of egg allergy, (3) with weakened immune systems, (4) who received antiviral medications (like Tamiflu or Relenza) two days or fewer before vaccination, and (5) children between ages 2 and 4 with asthma or multiple episodes of wheezing within the past year. These children should get either the quadrivalent or trivalent ‘shot.’

If your pediatrician does not have the nasal spray immediately available, parents are advised to opt for the flu shot, and not to wait until the nasal spray becomes available.

Parents always ask how they can tell if their child has the flu, as opposed to other infections such as a cold or a ‘stomach flu.’

Flu symptoms can include the sudden onset of fever and chills, muscle aches, extreme tiredness, and headache. Coughing is often dry at first, followed by development of sore throat, increased mucous production, and stuffy or runny nose. What helps to distinguish cold versus flu symptoms is the fact that cold symptoms are not as severe and come on more slowly, while flu symptoms develop rather quickly. It is also important to understand that infections causing stomach-flu symptoms are different from the influenza virus, and that diarrhea, stomach pain, and vomiting are not common symptoms of the flu.

It is important to be able to recognize the difference between a cold and flu to avoid an unnecessary trip to your doctor or local emergency room. As we’ve all heard many times before, there is no cure for the common cold other than treating its symptoms with over-the-counter medications.

Being able to identify flu symptoms more quickly and clearly can help you seek treatment from your child’s doctor within the first 24 to 48 hours after symptoms begin. Rapid recognition of the flu is important, because this time frame represents the short window in which antiviral medications can be prescribed and administered, in order to reduce the length and severity of your child’s infection.

You should call your pediatrician immediately if your child exhibits any of the following symptoms: trouble breathing, little or no appetite and not drinking enough (so as to cause dehydration), bluish skin color, or extreme irritability.

Viruses, the germs that cause respiratory infections such as the flu, are often spread from person to person in the form of droplets, when someone who is sick coughs or sneezes either on or close to someone not infected. Some viruses, like the flu, can also be spread when people touch a surface with the virus on it, such as a doorknob, and then touch their nose, mouth, or eyes.

To help keep the germs away, tell your children it is important to wash their hands often with warm soap and water, or to use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. They should also be taught to avoid constantly touching their nose, eyes, and mouth. Tell them not to share foods, beverages, or utensils with other people, and not to share things such as towels, toys, lipstick, lip balm, and other items that may be contaminated with germs. Also, inform them to avoid other children who are sick, and be sure to keep your children away from other kids if they are feeling ill.

We can all work together to keep our children safe and healthy during the upcoming influenza season.