What is the Flu?

Influenza, or "the flu", is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory tract (nose, throat and lungs). The flu is often confused with the common cold, but flu symptoms tend to develop quickly (usually 1 to 4 days after a person is exposed to the flu virus) and are usually more severe than the typical sneezing and congestion associated with a cold.

Common Symptoms

Fever

Headache

Extreme Tiredness

Dry Cough

Sore Throat

Runny Nose

Muscle Aches

Nausea/Vomiting

The flu and its complications lead to more than 200,000 hospital stays per year and tens of thousands of deaths. On average, as many as 36,000 Americans die each year from the flu.

Unfortunately, so many of those are children. The combination of influenza and pneumonia is the seventh-leading cause of death among Americans and sixth leading cause of death in children under the age of 13.

1 in 5 Americans contract the flu each year. Follow your instincts about your child and their symptoms. Nobody knows your children better than you do.

Prevention

The flu spreads easily from person to person. Prevention is key to maintaining a healthy environment during flu season. Follow these simple steps to help keep you and your family healthier this flu season:

Get Vaccinated

According to the CDC, influenza vaccination is safe, effective and the single best way to help protect yourself and your family from the flu each year. Since the virus and the vaccine change every year, it is important to get a vaccination annually.

FAFQ
(Frequently Asked Flu Questions)

Q: Can you get the flu from the flu vaccine?

A: No. The flu vaccine does not actually carry a live virus; it contains inactivated or weakened organisms. Vaccine manufacturers grow the flu virus in eggs, then cleanse and chemically treat the virus to deactivate it.

Q: Isn't the flu just a bad cold?

A: The flu is a serious disease. It is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory tract (nose, throat, and lungs). In the United States, about 200,000 people are hospitalized and tens of thousands of people die each year because of the flu. Influenza kills more Americans every year than all other vaccine-preventable diseases combined.

Q: My kids are healthy. They don't really need the flu vaccine do they?

A: They should get one! Children are two-to-three times more likely to develop influenza than adults because of their less-developed immune systems. More than 20,000 children under the age of five are hospitalized due to the flu each year. In addition, influenza kills nearly 100 children under five years of age in the United States every year. The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older should get vaccinated against the flu every year.

Q: Aren't the side effects from the vaccine way worse than getting the flu itself?

A: Most people who get the flu shot have no reaction. Up to 25 percent may have some redness and slight swelling at the site of injection; the risk of a severe allergic reaction in those who receive a vaccination is less than one in four million.

Q: Everyone says I need to get vaccinated in the fall but I ran out of time. Is it too late to get a flu vaccine?

A: It is recommended to get vaccinated as soon as vaccine becomes available in your community. The flu virus tends to spread from October to May, with most cases occurring in January or February. However, vaccinations can be given at any time during the flu season – even getting a vaccination later in the season (December through March) can still help protect you from influenza.