How long does flu last in kids? What to know as flu season hits California schools
The winter months are approaching, and the combination of cold and dry weather makes a perfect environment for the flu to spread, especially in places like classrooms.
This year’s flu season concerns health care professionals like Dean Blumberg at Pediatric Infectious Diseases division at UC Davis Health in part because flu cases plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic when people practiced social distancing and were careful to keep healthy.
“People have really built up susceptibility over the the past few years because there’s been very little influenza transmitted so people don’t have immunity,” Blumberg said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu can be transmitted year-round but the fall and winter is usually what’s known as flu season. The exact length of flu season can vary year-to-year but it’s safe to say that the season usually starts in October.
How long does the flu last in a child?
A child with the flu is usually sick between three and seven days. Some symptoms kids can experience while having the flu according to Blumberg are:
▪ Fever
▪ Respiratory symptoms
▪ Some abdominal symptoms
▪ Nausea
▪ Vomiting
▪ Stomach aches
The most vulnerable ages during flu season
Children and adults can be infected with the flu at the same rate. However, children under five and adults over 65 have the most complications, which can usually lead to hospitalizations, Blumberg said.
Hospitalization among children younger than five ranged from 6,000 to 27,000 per year between 2010 to 2020 in the United States, according to the CDC website.
When should you get the flu vaccine?
Health care professionals don’t know exactly when the peak of the flu season will occur. One thing they do to try to predict is how bad the upcoming flu season will be. Blumberg said they look at the the southern hemisphere where countries already experienced their winter for the year.
“Australia had a terrible influenza season,” Blumberg said. “It started very early and had influenza rates three times higher than average and was the worst in five years.”
Typically October is a good time to get vaccinated because it brings immunity for about four to five months.
“Most of the time the peak of the flu season occurs by March so to get vaccinated in October that gives you the best odds of being protected throughout the flu,” Blumberg said.
Avoid getting sick
It’s recommend children and parents get vaccinated to avoid getting sick this flu season.
“The one active thing that parents can do is get vaccinated make sure that their children are vaccinated and that every household member is vaccinated,” Blumberg said. “That will decrease the risk of individuals getting influenza as well as somebody bringing it into the household.”
The CDC website also has additional tips to help avoid getting sick this upcoming flu season:
▪ Stay home if you’re sick.
▪ Cover your mouth and nose if you sneeze.
▪ Wash your hands frequently.
▪ Avoid touching your eyes and nose.
This story was originally published October 26, 2022 at 7:00 AM with the headline "How long does flu last in kids? What to know as flu season hits California schools."