What is seasonal flu?

The flu, or influenza, is an infection of the nose, throat, and lungs. The flu can spread from person to person.

How else can I protect my child?

Get the seasonal flu vaccine for yourself.

Encourage your child’s close contacts to get the seasonal flu vaccine, too. This is very important if your child is younger than 5 or if he or she has a chronic health problem such as asthma (breathing disease) or diabetes (high blood sugar levels). Because children under 6 months can’t be vaccinated, they rely on those around them to get an annual flu vaccine.

Wash your hands often and cover your coughs and sneezes. It’s best to use a tissue and quickly throw it away. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands. This will prevent the spread of germs.

What are the signs of the flu?

The flu comes on suddenly. Most people with the flu feel very tired and have a high fever, headache, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and sore muscles. Some people, especially children, may also have stomach problems and diarrhea. The cough can last two or more weeks.

How does the flu spread?

People who have the flu usually cough, sneeze and have a runny nose. The droplets in a cough, sneeze, or runny nose contain the flu virus. Other people can get the flu by breathing in these droplets or by getting them in their nose or mouth.

Can my child go back to school/daycare after having the flu?

No. If your child has the flu, he or she should stay home to rest. This helps avoid giving the flu to other children.

For more information about the flu, visit

health.ny.gov/flu

Or, www.cdc.gov/flu

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention