Influenza virus the flu a guide to parents brochure

In developing the vaccine, physicians and scientists make a best guess based on recent flu patterns to determine the most likely flu strains for the season. Unfortunately, there can be strains circulating in the environment that are not in the vaccine. The flu vaccine includes three strains of the influenza virus. The good news is that even if the vaccine strains and the circulating strains are not perfect matches, the vaccine can still provide some protection because viral strains share similarities.

It takes about two weeks for the vaccine to elicit the proper protective response, so if someone is infected soon after receiving the vaccine, or if he or she was exposed to the virus before receiving the vaccine, symptoms can still develop.

Even though the flu vaccine contains egg protein, most children with egg and other food allergies can be immunized safely with a few basic precautions. Children with established diagnoses of severe egg allergy should not be immunized without consulting a pediatric allergist. Most, however, can be vaccinated safely after a skin-prick test to the vaccine itself to gauge the risk for a reaction.

An estimated 2 percent to 3 percent of U. Leaving them unprotected against the flu can lead to many unnecessary yet preventable infections and hospitalizations. Many children with food allergies also have asthma, putting them at even higher risk for complications from the flu. Pediatricians should make special efforts to vaccinate those at high risk for complications, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics AAP. Such transmission of an attenuated influenza strain is very uncommon, perhaps because only low titers of vaccine virus are shed.

Health Home Conditions and Diseases Influenza. How can I best protect my child against the flu? What are its symptoms? How should I treat it? Because the flu is caused by a virus it does NOT respond to antibiotics. When should I seek medical treatment? How long is the incubation period and how long does the contagious phase last? The flu comes on suddenly. Most people with the flu feel very tired and have a high fever, headache, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and sore muscles.

Some people, especially children, may also have stomach problems and diarrhea. The cough can last two or more weeks. People who have the flu usually cough, sneeze, and have a runny nose.

The droplets in a cough, sneeze or runny nose contain the flu virus. Other people can get the flu by breathing in these droplets or by getting them in their nose or mouth. Most healthy adults may be able to spread the flu from one day before getting sick to up to 5 days after getting sick. This can be longer in children and in people who don't fight disease as well people with weaker immune systems.

Wash your children's hands with soap and water. Wash them for as long as it takes to sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice. If soap and water are not handy, use a hand sanitizer. It should be rubbed into hands until the hands are dry.

If your child has the flu, he or she should stay home to rest. This helps avoid giving the flu to other children. Children with the flu should be isolated in the home, away from other people. They should also stay home until they have no fever without the use of fever-control medicines and they feel well for 24 hours.

Remind your child to protect others by covering his or her mouth when coughing or sneezing. You may want to send your child to school with some tissues, and a hand sanitizer, if allowed by the school. For more information about the flu, visit health. Navigation menu. Who Needs A Flu Vaccine? Get their flu vaccine every year. Is the flu more serious for kids?? Flu vaccine may save your child's life. What is the flu? Who needs the flu vaccine?

Flu vaccine can be given to children 6 months and older. Children younger than 9 years old who get a vaccine for the first time need two doses. How else can I protect my child? Get the flu vaccine for yourself. Encourage your child's close contacts to get the flu vaccine, too.

This is very important if your child is younger than 5, or if he or she has a chronic health problem such as asthma breathing disease or diabetes high blood sugar levels. Because children under 6 months can't be vaccinated, they rely on those around them to get an annual flu vaccine.