As winter draws to a close, most parents begin putting coats away, planning for spring vacations and breathing a sigh of relief if their child has not had the flu.
Dreary cold days may be over, but flu season is predicted to continue through late spring in the Houston area. If you or your child has yet to receive an influenza vaccine, you are still at substantial risk of contracting the flu.
“We’re right at the beginning of the peak part of flu season,” explained Dr. Gail Demmler, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and director of the Diagnostic Virology Laboratory at Texas Children’s Hospital. “The flu is a serious illness that kills adults and children every year. The good news is that the flu is both preventable and treatable and that you still can benefit from receiving the flu vaccine.”
Each year, 36,000 people in the United States die from the flu and more than 200,000 are hospitalized because of influenza complications. In the majority of years, the largest number of cases occur in February in Houston.
Even though the flu vaccine does not offer 100 percent protection from the flu, it is the most effective way to protect your family. “Receiving the flu vaccine does reduce your risk of getting the flu,” explained Demmler. “For most people who do contract the flu after receiving the vaccine, the severity and longevity of their illness is greatly reduced.”
Common symptoms of the flu include fever, headache, sore throat, dry cough, body aches and overall malaise. “This year, many children seem to have a very severe sore throat, headache and fatigue, but not all of them have a fever,” said Demmler. “If you think your child has the flu, immediately contact your child’s doctor so a rapid flu test can be performed. Early confirmation of a flu diagnosis allows the pediatrician to determine the course of treatment.”
One of the biggest misconceptions with the flu vaccine is that the vaccine causes some patients to get the flu. “There is no live virus in the influenza vaccine given by shot,” explained Dr. Carol Baker, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Texas Children’s. “The influenza vaccine given by nasal spray does consist of a live virus that has been altered so it does not cause the flu. About 5 percent of people who get the flu shot do develop a low-grade fever or mild body aches, but this is definitely not the flu.”
From the time the flu vaccine is administered, it takes 10 days to two weeks for a person to develop immunity against influenza. Parents simply should not put off getting a flu shot for their child or themselves.
“Children under age 2 years, even if they are healthy, are more likely to develop serious complications and have to go to the hospital if they get the flu,” said Baker. “The best way for parents to protect infants less than 6 months old — and the rest of their family for that matter — is to have everyone in the household above 6 months of age vaccinated against the flu.”
Want more information on colds and the flu?
Visit the Texas Children's cold and flu resource page.
