How to keep kids safe during flu season
As temperatures start to drop, Illinois families know they're about to face a familiar season full of sneezes and coughs, with peak flu season occurring between December and March. Dr. Tina Tan, infectious diseases physician at Lurie Children's, is equipping families with simple steps they can take to keep kids and the community safe this flu season, and most of her suggestions can be applied or adapted by people of all ages as best practice.
One of the most important ways to prevent sickness during flu season is to maintain good hygiene habits, including frequent hand washing, coughing and sneezing into your elbow and reminding kids not to share toys, food or drinks with friends or classmates.
“Whether at school, at home or out in the community, hand-washing is an effective way to keep your family healthy,” Tan said. “For kids, building hand-washing skills can take practice. Remind kids to wash their hands after using the bathroom, before eating, after playing outside and after coughing, sneezing or blowing their nose.”
Infants, kids and teens should also keep up with routine checkups, including vaccinations to help steer clear of the flu. Without up-to-date vaccinations, kids are at a higher risk of getting sick from a preventable disease. This includes the flu vaccine, which Dr. Tan recommends parents get from their child's pediatrician or primary care provider as soon as possible.
While the flu vaccine's effectiveness can vary depending on how well the viral strains in the vaccine match those that are circulating each year, the vaccine generally lessens the risk of getting the flu by between 40% to 60%. Individuals ages six months and older are encouraged to get their flu shots as soon as possible to prevent illness and it's recommended to receive the vaccine in early fall to help get ahead of the peak season.
“The flu can be a serious disease, especially for young children who are at a higher risk than older children for severe flu-related illness and complications,” said Tan. “If a person does get sick with influenza, the vaccine can help prevent the most serious symptoms as well as complications, hospitalization, and even death.”
Tan's final safety step is to keep children home from school, day care or errands if they begin to feel sick or have flu-like symptoms. Whether they have a runny nose, fever or severe cough, keeping a sick child at home will keep any illness from spreading to others.
To learn more about the flu and vaccination, families can visit www.luriechildrens.org/en/specialties-conditions/influenza-flu-vaccine.
• Children's health is a continuing series. This week's article is courtesy of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. Dr. Tina Tan is an infectious diseases physician at Lurie. For more information, visit www.LurieChildrens.org.