For more on the flu, visit: www.cdc.gov/flu
Flu Answers
Below are ten frequently asked questions about protecting your family from seasonal flu. Scroll down to see them all.
What is the flu?
Influenza (aka the flu) is a contagious and preventable respiratory illness caused by flu viruses. In an average year, 4 million kids will get the flu. The flu can lead to bed confinement of up to a week or more. Severe flu can lead to hospitalization and even death (mostly in the elderly). Your kids are 2-3 times more likely to come down with flu than you are, which is why it is important for them to get yearly vaccinations.
Why should my child be vaccinated?
Since children are more likely to come down with the flu, yearly vaccinations are recommended for eligible children. During the "flu season", which can begin as early as October and last as late as May, flu viruses circulate. A yearly vaccination, either a flu shot or nasal-spray vaccine, as soon as they are available, is the best way to help protect your child from the flu and reduce the chances that he or she will transmit the virus to others. No one vaccine is right for everyone, so talk to your doctor about the right option for each member of your family.
Can my child get the flu from a flu vaccine?
No. Vaccines are prepared from killed or weakened influenza viruses, which cannot cause infection. Some people may think that the flu vaccine causes the flu, as they may experience some vaccine side effects such as fever and fatigue, but that is not the flu.
What types of vaccinations are available?
There are different FDA-approved flu vaccine options: nasal-spray flu vaccine or flu shot. No one flu vaccine is right for everyone, so talk to your doctor about the right option for each member of your family.
Learn about a vaccine option that helps protect against the seasonal flu.
What are the common symptoms of influenza?
Flu symptoms come on suddenly and can include a high fever of up to 102 degrees Fahrenheit or more, as well as headaches, muscle aches, tiredness, weakness, and extreme exhaustion. Flu symptoms sometimes appear as a sore throat, runny nose, and coughing.
How long will my child be sick if he or she gets the flu?
The fatigue and cough of flu can last more than two weeks. People with the flu can infect other people up to a day before they feel any flu symptoms. That means your child could have the flu and infect someone else before you even know they have the flu. Adults who have the flu can infect someone else for up to 7 days. Kids are infectious for up to 10 days. Adults with the flu should stay home for at least 24 hours after their fever goes away without fever-reducing medicine.
How is the flu virus spread?
Flu viruses spread from person to person in the airborne droplets of coughs and sneezes. Flu viruses can live up to 8 hours on countertops and other surfaces. So you can also catch the flu by touching any surface where there are flu viruses and then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes. But there are easy ways to avoid sharing the flu.
How do I know if my child has the flu or a cold?
The flu is often confused with a cold, because both cold and flu can give you a sore throat, runny nose, and coughing. However, the flu can be a lot more serious. It causes body aches and high fever. The fatigue and cough of flu can last more than two weeks. In addition, flu can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia. If you have any of the flu symptoms shown here, stay home and call your doctor.
Can I catch the flu more than once in a flu season?
Yes, because in any given influenza season, the flu may be caused by several different circulating flu strains. There are usually both Type A and Type B influenza viruses in circulation, sometimes several of each type. It's quite possible that you could get infected with one type and then the other, so you need to be vaccinated against both. The flu vaccine contains the three strains experts expect to be most common for that influenza season.
What is the currently circulating pandemic, H1N1 flu?
The currently circulating pandemic H1N1 influenza, originally referred to as "swine flu", first turned up in humans in 2009. It's caused by a different virus than the current seasonal flu.
For more information, visit CDC.gov/H1N1flu.
