How To Protect Kids From The Flu

What is the flu?

A flu virus is a highly contagious respiratory infection that appears suddenly. An individual may experience body aches, fever, and a cough for a few days to a couple of weeks after exposure. Symptoms of the flu may include one or more of the following:

• Fever (normally more than 100.4°F for several days). Chills are often present.
• Pain in the muscles or the body
• Having headaches
• Tired
• Throat infection.
• Runny or stuffy nose

Children with the flu are more likely to experience digestive symptoms like diarrhoea or nausea, and vomiting than adults. Moreover, since the flu virus is transmitted through your body, antibiotics that treat bacteria are useless.

How To Protect Kids from The Flu

Flu season is already on the verge of kicking into high gear. The flu vaccine isn’t 100% effective, and there’s nothing to take when you’re feeling sick. To protect children from the flu, it’s important to get them the vaccinations they need, including their flu jab.

However, here’s how to protect kids from the flu outside of that first vaccine.

Keep sick children at home

You shouldn’t send them to school. Infecting other people is something we don’t want parents to do. Whenever your children are sick, please do not send them to the ER. Instead, take them to the paediatrician.

It’s generally safe for kids to return to school after a 48-hour period without a fever, vomiting, or diarrhoea. However, follow your instinct: If your child looks sick, stay home or see a doctor, she advised.

Consult a paediatrician

Many parents want to see their doctor as soon as their child gets a fever, coughs, or sneezes. It’s understandable that parents worry when their kids are ill, so it would be wise to invest in children’s health insurance to protect your children’s health.

So if you think your child is sick, whether with the flu or something else, see your doctor as soon as possible.

Teach your children the proper way to cough and sneeze

The flu is a nasty illness that you definitely don’t want other little ones to catch. If your children are ill with the flu, get them in the habit of covering their mouth when they cough or sneeze, and make sure they wash their hands regularly. It’s the best way to protect them from getting sick. 

Keep everything clean

Perhaps you’re a parent, teacher, nanny, or daycare owner. You work in an environment where children are present. Every day, you endanger yourself and your child by not washing your hands and taking care of your own hygiene.

The flu is all around you. A child who is not vaccinated against the flu is constantly exposed to it on the playground, in school, and in a daycare centre.

Flu spreads easily. Through saliva, tears, coughing, and sneezing, the flu can spread easily. It can live on surfaces for a short period of time. So that’s why you need to keep everything clean.

Monitor the child’s response to fever

After taking medication, you should monitor your child’s fever and see if they’re acting normal again once the fever recedes. You can probably relax if that’s the case.

On the other hand, if your child’s fever has gone down, but he or she is lethargic and not moving, he or she must be seen by a doctor immediately.

Hopefully, this short guide will help many parents/guardians to effectively protect their children from the flu once the seasons change.