Arnold DavisDuring flu season, encourage your child to get a regular vaccine. Look for vaccines without thimerosal.
Vaccines help your child build a strong immune system, but germs still can spread quickly. Remind your child to cover coughs and sneezes, using tissues or the inside of the elbow, and to wash her hands often.
Get Your Child to the Doctor
It’s important to contact your child’s healthcare provider as soon as you think he or she has the flu. Your child may need to get prescription antiviral medicine such as baloxavir marboxil (Xofluza), oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (Relenza). Antivirals work best when they are taken within the first day or two of symptoms. Your child’s healthcare provider may also prescribe acetaminophen or ibuprofen to reduce fever and ease aches. Always follow the package instructions on how much to give your child. Do not give your child aspirin because it raises the risk of Reye syndrome.
Though some children may have a cold with similar symptoms to the flu, the flu is usually worse and lasts longer. The main difference is that a common cold is focused in the head and nose, while the flu affects the entire body. Children with the flu may feel achy and exhausted for a week or more, while symptoms of a cold often fade in 3 to 4 days.
Give Your Child Plenty of Fluids
When a child has the flu, it’s important to give them plenty of fluids. Drinks like water, Pedialyte, smoothies and warm broth help your child stay hydrated.
If your child has a high fever, they may feel hot and sweaty or have body shakes (they’re generating extra heat to fight the virus). They might also be congested, making it hard to breathe. Encourage them to take a lot of naps and stay in bed, and make sure they’re wearing a mask when they go out.
A physical exam is often all a doctor needs to diagnose the flu, though they might want to do some tests like a throat or nose swab. Then they’ll recommend medication, likely acetaminophen to lessen the fever and ease the aches. They can also prescribe safe antiviral drugs to shorten the duration of symptoms and prevent complications, such as pneumonia. These medications are most effective if taken closer to the beginning of your child’s symptoms.
Let Your Child Rest
It’s important to call your child’s health care provider as soon as you think they have the flu. This will give you a diagnosis and instructions for treatment. Antiviral medicines like baloxavir marboxil (Xofluza), oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (Relenza) are more effective when taken within the first 48 hours of symptoms and can shorten the duration of the illness. They may also protect your child from complications, such as ear infections or pneumonia, that can develop from the flu, check this site out.
While your child is sick, encourage them to rest in bed or on the couch with a supply of books, magazines, quiet music and even their favorite movie. You can offer water, sports drinks and/or ice pops to keep them hydrated. If their fever is high, you can give them acetaminophen or ibuprofen (Tylenol, Motrin, etc.) but don’t give them aspirin, which can increase their risk of Reye’s syndrome. It’s also a good idea to keep them away from other children and adults who might be contagious.
Don’t Give Your Child Aspirin
Most kids will get better on their own — rest, fluids and over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen help ease symptoms of fever, aches and pains. Remember that a child’s dose of these medicines should be limited to what is labeled on the box. Aspirin given to children with the flu increases their risk of Reye syndrome, a rare disorder that can damage their liver and brain.
Your child’s health care provider may also give them an antiviral medicine, such as baloxavir marboxil (Xofluza), oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (Relenza). These work best when started within the first 48 hours of getting sick.
Conclusion:
The best way to prevent the flu is for all children 6 months and older to get a yearly vaccination. Vaccines are available as a shot in the arm or thigh and as a nasal spray for children ages 2 years and older. They contain small amounts of mercury, called thimerosal, as a preservative. However, all routine vaccines are now available without thimerosal.