2015 ~ Dr.KABITA KEYAL

Mysterious FLU (Influenza) this season creating Havoc in Health

What is the Flu?

The flu (influenza) is a respiratory illness caused by a Influenza virus. Flu infections are highly contagious. They spread easily when children are in a group with other children such as in a child care center or family, home, school. Flu viruses spread easily through the air with coughing and sneezing. They also spread by touching things like doorknobs or toys, common wash-room towels and then touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

Flu is more dangerous than the common cold for children and can lead to serious health conditions like pneumonia or bacterial infections. Each year many children are hospitalized and some die from the flu. Children and adolescents with a chronic health condition such as: asthma, diabetes and disorders of the brain or nervous system are at high risk for flu complications.

Seasonal incidence: While you can catch the flu any time of the year, the virus is most common between October and May and usually peaks around January or February.

SYMPTOMS OF FLU

Flu is a short–form for influenza. It is an infection of the breathing system (nose, throat and lungs), but it can affect the whole body.

All flu viruses cause illness that can last a week or more.
Symptoms include:

· A sudden onset fever (usually above 101°F or 38.3°C)

· Chills and body shakes

· Headache,body aches, & being a lot more tired than usual

· Sore throat

· Dry, hacking cough

· Stuffy, runny nose

· Diarrhea, Vomiting

PREVENTING FLU

Parents and child care providers can help prevent and slow the spread of the FLU.

Fighting Germs

A few minutes killing germs can go a long way toward keeping you and those around you healthy. As adults, we know to wash our hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing, sneezing, or wiping noses. When you cough or sneeze, cough into your sleeve or arm or into a tissue,be sure to dispose of the tissue and wash your hands.

Hand Washing: A Powerful Antidote to Illness

Making It Habit

As early as possible, get your child into the habit of washing her/his hands often and thoroughly. All day long, your child is exposed to bacteria and viruses—when touching a playmate, sharing toys, or petting the cats/dogs. Once her hands pick up these germs, she can quickly infect herself by:

Rubbing her eyes
Touching her nose
Placing her fingers in her mouth.

The whole process can happen in seconds, and cause an infection that can last for days, weeks, or even longer.

When To Wash

Hand washing can stop the spread of infection. The key is to encourage your child to wash her hands throughout the day. For example: Help her or remind her to wash her hands:

· Before eating (including snacks)

· After a trip to the bathroom

· Whenever she comes in from playing outdoors

· After touching an animal like a family pet

· After sneezing or coughing if she covers her mouth

· When someone in the household is ill

Germ Prevention Strategies

Hygiene Strategies

When your child or another family member has a cold or cough, there are extremely important steps in addition to frequent hand washing that can lower the risk of spreading the infection to others.

For example:

To keep your sick child from blowing secretions into the air, where they can land on other people or on toys and other objects
Encourage her to cough or sneeze into a tissue or, if a tissue isn’t available, onto her sleeve.
Discourage your child from covering her mouth with her hands while coughing or sneezing because this will leave germs on the hands that can be spread by touching other people or objects. Most often, germs are spread by the hands, not through the air.
Throw away tissues immediately after each use, putting them in a nearby wastebasket/dustbin or other container.
Once your child is old enough, teach her how to blow her nose into a tissue.
Don’t allow your child to share pacifiers, drinking cups, eating utensils,toys, towels, or toothbrushes when she is sick

The Flu Vaccine

Vaccine is the best way for your whole family to prepare for this coming flu season. Flu viruses are unpredictable. They are always changing over time and from year to year. So parents should get their children and themselves vaccinated as soon as possible.

Who Needs the Flu Vaccine?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all people (6 months of age and older) get the flu vaccine every year.

This includes children, their brothers and sisters, parents, and caregivers. Babies cannot get vaccinated until they are 6 months old. It is critical that people who live with or care for children, especially infants younger than 6 months, get vaccinated. Vaccinating adults who are around an infant to prevent illnesses is often referred to as “Cocooning.”

Vaccination is especially important for:

Children with conditions that increase their risk of complications from the flu
Adults who provide care for children : with high-risk conditions & children younger than 5 years (especially infants younger than 6 months)
Doctors, nurses, other health care workers and all child care providers and staff
All women who are pregnant, are considering pregnancy, are in the postpartum period, or are breastfeeding during the flu season
All children living in a group or children with chronic illness

This Season’s Flu Vaccine

The flu vaccine includes 3 strains (trivalent). These are the strains that are anticipated to circulate around this flu season.

The trivalent vaccine protects against the same 3 strains as last season. These are:

· Influenza A (H1N1)

· Influenza A (H3N2)

· Influenza B

Types of Flu Vaccine

There are 2 types of flu vaccine.

· Inactivated Influenza vaccine (IIV) is given as a shot. There are 2 kinds of shots. The intramuscular (into the muscle) shot is licensed and recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older, including people with and without chronic medical conditions.

The intradermal (into the skin) shot is licensed for use only in people 18 through 64 years of age.

· Live-attenuated Influenza vaccine (LAIV) is sprayed into the nose. LAIV is licensed for use in health people 2 years through 49 years of age. Some studies show that LAIV may work better than IIV to prevent the flu in young children. When available, LAIV should be considered for healthy children 2 through 8 years of age.

Both types of flu vaccine are safe and work well to protect your child from the flu. Your doctor can help you decide which vaccine is best for your child and family.