Flu Information For Parents and Caregivers

Many children who get the flu will have mild symptoms and recover within a few days. However, children younger than 5 years old have a high risk of complications like ear infections and pneumonia from the flu. Children with certain medical conditions like asthma may also get very sick. The CDC recommends the seasonal flu vaccine for all children ages 6 months through 18 years. (more)

H1N1 School Vaccination

The Rhode Island Department of Health has scheduled school-based H1N1 vaccination clinics to occur over a 28-school day period starting in the first week of November. The H1N1 Vaccine Information Statement (English | Spanish | Portuguese), vaccine consent form (English | Spanish | Portuguese), and accompanying letter (English | Spanish | Portuguese) were sent home to parents the week of October 19. Your child cannot receive this free vaccination in a school without a signed and dated consent form. The superintendent of the school district that your child is zoned to attend or their school principal will contact you with more information about clinics. For school-aged children who do not get this vaccination in school, it will not likely be available in physicians’ offices or in other clinics until late December. (school vaccination clinic schedule)

Flu Symptoms in Young Children

Infants and young children with flu may have fever and seem very tired, but may not have cough or other symptoms. (more)

When to Seek Emergency Medical Care

If your children experience any of the following symptoms, you should seek immediate medical attention. As always, if you have any medical concerns, check with your pediatrician.

• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish or gray skin color
• Dehydration (dry tongue, cracked lips)
• Hard to wake up
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Symptoms improve, but then return with fever and a worse cough
• Fever with a rash

What You Should Do

• Make sure your children are up to date on their other vaccines and that they continue taking any regular medications.
• Make plans ahead of time to care for your children in case they get sick.
• Teach children how to prevent the spread of germs that cause the flu.
• Vaccinate yourself and your children against seasonal flu every year.
• Do not give children younger than 19 years old aspirin to treat the flu.