The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends four main ways you and your family may keep from getting sick with the flu at early childhood programs or at home:
1. Get your children vaccinated for seasonal flu and 2009 H1N1 flu when vaccines are available. Parents and caregivers of children less than 6 months of age should also get vaccinated for seasonal flu and 2009 H1N1 flu because these children are at higher risk for flu complications and are too young to be vaccinated.
2. Stay home if you or your child is sick for at least 24 hours after there is no longer a fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit or 37.8 degrees Celsius measured by mouth) or signs of a fever (chills, feel very warm, flushed appearance, or sweating). Keeping sick children at home means that they keep their viruses to themselves rather than sharing them with others.
3. Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Parents and child care providers should wash the hands of children who cannot yet wash themselves, and closely monitor children who have not yet mastered proper hand hygiene.
4. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder; not into your hands. Teach your children how to do this.
If your child is not feeling well …
Watch carefully for signs and symptoms of flu. Some children may not be able to tell you about their symptoms, which can delay your response to their illness. Symptoms of flu include fever or chills and cough or sore throat. In addition, symptoms of flu can include runny nose, body aches, headache, tiredness, diarrhea, or vomiting. A fever is a temperature measured by mouth with a thermometer that is equal to or greater than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius). If you are not able to measure a temperature, signs and symptoms that may indicate your child has a fever include chills, feeling very warm to the touch, having a flushed appearance, or sweating.
Watch for emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention. These warning
signs include one or more of the following:
fast breathing, trouble breathing, shortness of breath, or no longer breathing;
bluish, purplish, or gray skin color especially around the lips and the inside of the mouth, or around the nails;
not drinking enough fluids, refusing to drink;
not urinating, decreased number of wet diapers, or no tears when crying;
severe or persistent vomiting;
not waking up or not interacting (e.g., unusually quiet and inactive, no interest in playing, no interest in favorite toy);
being so irritable that the child does not want to be held, or cannot be consoled;
pain or pressure in the chest or stomach;
sudden dizziness;
confusion; and
flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough.
Stay home if you or your child is sick with the flu until at least 24 hours after there is no longer a fever or signs of a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medicine). Children and teenagers should not be given aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid); this can cause a rare but serious illness called Reye’s syndrome.
Make sure your child gets plenty of rest and drinks clear fluids (such as water, broth, sports drinks) to prevent dehydration. For infants, use electrolyte beverages such as Pedialyte®.
Contact your doctor immediately if a child younger than 5 years of age is sick. This is important because the antiviral medicines used to treat flu work best when started within the first 2 days of getting sick. Your doctor will tell you what special care is needed for your child.
