The flu (influenza) is an illness that is easily spread. It’s caused by a virus. The flu typically spreads during winter months.

When someone with the flu coughs, sneezes or speaks, the viruses spread into the air. You can get the flu if you breathe in one of the viruses. You also can get the flu if you touch something (like a door handle or a phone) that has a flu virus on it and then you touch your nose, eyes or mouth.

For most people, the flu can make you feel badly. But for some, the flu can lead to severe illness and life-threatening health issues. Your baby or young child is at high risk of having health problems from the flu.

Flu symptoms
Your child may have the flu if she:

• Has a fever
• Has chills
• Has a cough (Don’t give over-the-counter cough and cold products to your baby or young child. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, these medications can have serious and life-threatening side effects.) 
• Has a sore throat
• Has a runny or stuffy nose
• Has muscle or body aches
• Has headaches
• Is very tired
• Has vomiting and diarrhea

Fever and most other symptoms can last a week or longer.

Flu vaccine
If you have a child who is 6 months or older, she should get a seasonal flu vaccine every year. The vaccine is especially important if your child is younger than 5 years old because she’s at high risk of getting health problems from the flu. The flu vaccine is safe for most children.

If you take care of a child younger than 5 years old, get the flu vaccine yourself. This is especially important if you take care of a baby younger than 6 months old. Babies this age are too young to get the flu vaccine. Getting the flu vaccine yourself can help prevent spreading the flu within the household.

Having the flu can be really dangerous for children with chronic health problems. This includes children with asthma, heart disease, sickle cell disease, diabetes and HIV and those going through cancer treatment. If your child has these or any other chronic health problems and she is 6 months old or older, be sure she gets her flu vaccine each fall.

The flu vaccine is given in two ways. Your child can get the flu vaccine in a shot or in a nasal spray. Children older than 6 months and under age 2 or who have certain health problems should get the flu shot.

The vaccine can also be given as a nasal spray (flu mist). Children who are older than 2 years and don’t have certain health problems can get the nasal spray vaccine. If you’re not sure which vaccine is best for your child, talk to your child’s health provider or visit Flu.gov.

Children with certain health problems shouldn’t get the flu vaccine. For example, if your child is allergic to eggs, he shouldn’t get the flu vaccine because it’s made with eggs. Your provider can tell you if your child shouldn’t get the flu vaccine. Again, the flu vaccine is safe for most babies and children.

The flu vaccine for 2010 through 2011 protects people against seasonal flu and 2009 H1N1 flu (a kind of flu virus that spread around the world in 2009).

When your child has the flu
Be sure she gets lots of rest and drinks plenty of fluids. She may not want to eat much. Try giving her small meals to help her body get better.

Antibiotics (medicines that kill infections caused by bacteria) don’t work to treat the flu. Your child’s health care provider may recommend a special antiviral medicine (medicine that kills infections caused by viruses) to help treat the flu. If your child seems uncomfortable from the fever, ask her provider if you can give her infant's or children's acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil). Never give aspirin to a child or teenager who has a fever without checking with her health care provider. Aspirin can cause a rare but life-threatening liver disorder called Reye syndrome in children with certain illnesses (such as colds, flu and chickenpox).

When to call your child’s health care provider
Contact your child's health care provider right away if your child has any of these signs:

• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids 
• Not waking up or not interacting 
• Being so irritable that he doesn’t want to be held 
• Flu symptoms that improve but return with fever and worse cough 
• Fever with a rash

Stop flu from spreading
If your child has the flu, he can spread it to others. Take the following steps to help prevent the disease from spreading:

• Don’t kiss your child on or around the mouth. But a hug is a good thing!
• Teach your child to cough or sneeze into a tissue or his arm. Throw used tissues in the trash.
• Wash your hands with soap and water before and after caring for your child. You also can use alcohol-based hand rubs. 
• Use hot, soapy water or a dishwasher to clean your child’s dishes and utensils.
• Don’t share any of your child’s dishes, glasses, utensils or his toothbrush. 
• Limit your child’s contact with others.

For more information
To learn more about flu:

• Read our article on Flu and Pregnancy
• Read our fact sheet on Seasonal, H1N1, Pandemic and Avian Flu (Influenza)
• Visit Flu.gov

October 2010