Flu can be a debilitating illness that makes life miserable for your child and can lead to complications in certain circumstances. Gina Labovitz, MD, FAAP, of Ross Bridge Medical Center Pediatrics in Hoover, Alabama, is a board-certified pediatrician who administers flu vaccinations to protect children from becoming sick and provides sympathetic treatment for children who do get the flu. Call the clinic today to arrange your child’s flu shot, or book an appointment online.
Flu is short for influenza, which is a viral infection causing symptoms such as:
It can also lead to earache or sinus infections, and severe cases may lead to pneumonia. The best way to keep your child getting the flu is to have them immunized according to the recommended schedule for a child their age. Dr. Labovitz can advise you on when to get your child vaccinated for flu.
Your child needs a flu shot each year, and if they’re under nine, they need a shot and a booster if they’ve not had one before. The influenza virus strains change each year, which means that a vaccine that worked against the dominant flu strains last year may not be effective this year.
The advantage of immunization is that your child is less likely to contract flu, and if they do, they’ll only have a mild case. That means they won’t have to suffer the severe symptoms of full-blown flu, they won’t lose school time, and they won’t risk the potential complications flu can cause if they have other health issues or a weakened immune system.
Flu is spread through contact with infected droplets sneezed or coughed out by someone who has flu.
Your child could catch flu either by breathing in these droplets directly if they’re near someone who's coughing or sneezing or by touching something that has the virus and then putting their hands near their mouth or nose.
The more children receive vaccination against flu, the less likely it is to spread around, and this is another good reason to have your child immunized.
If you’re worried about the severity of your child’s flu symptoms, then book a sick visit with Dr. Labovitz at Ross Bridge Medical Center Pediatrics. She can assess your child’s condition and, if necessary, take a swab from their throat to confirm flu.
As influenza is a virus, antibiotics don’t have any effect. The best way to care for your child is to:
Make sure your child’s improving each day, and if they aren’t or they’re not feeling better after a week, check in with Dr. Labovitz again.
The best action you can take for your child’s health is to get a flu shot each year, so if you want to find out more about immunization, call Ross Bridge Medical Center Pediatrics today, or book an appointment online.