Get An Early Jump On The Flu

With the flu season just around the corner, it’s never too early to start getting ready – for children especially. The timing of seasonal flu is often unpredictable and can vary in different parts of the country, from season to season.

While anyone can catch the flu, young children are one of the groups most at risk of contracting the virus. For children, the seasonal flu can go beyond being bed-ridden with fever, aches, chills, sore throat and a runny nose – it can lead to hospitalization, other complications and potentially death.

While rates of influenza infection are the highest among children aged 5 to 9 years, children under the age of 2 years have the highest rates of serious illness and death arising out of flu-related complications.

Children tend to be more susceptible to complications related to influenza infection due to their immature immune systems and a lack of prior immunity and exposure to the flu virus. Because of this, children may need to achieve a higher immune response than adults in order to attain protective antibody levels.

New vaccines specifically designed to help better protect infants from seasonal flu are now available, such as those that contain a live virus and are given intranasally, and those which contain an adjuvant to help boost your child’s natural immune response to the vaccine. Adjuvanted vaccines contain a natural helper agent and also showed they could provide some protection against circulating influenza strains not contained in the vaccine.

Parents should also take precautionary steps to prevent themselves from getting the flu and exposing their family to the virus. Some tips to help avoid the seasonal flu include:

• Washing hands frequently
• Avoiding people that are sick
• Using a tissue or elbow to cover a cough or sneeze
• Ensuring that you are well rested every night
• Getting a seasonal flu vaccine
• Help ensure you and your family are protected by visiting your doctor or a local flu vaccine clinic

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