The flu is a highly contagious disease and can be extremely dangerous for children, especially those who are too young to receive a vaccine.. It is therefore important that parents take steps to prevent their children from catching the flu. Here are some tips and advice to reduce the risk of transmitting the flu to your child.
Should my child get a flu shot?
LThe first thing to do is to ensure that your child receives all their up-to-date vaccinations. Flu shots can help prevent disease transmission. Children should get their flu shot every year because the strain varies from year to year.
The essentials to know about the flu and its vaccine
Indeed, the flu vaccination is a crucial step that should not be ignored, especially to preserve the health of your child. Other points to know on the subject:
- The minimum age for vaccination is 6 months. In addition to protecting your child from the flu and its complications, the flu vaccine also protects those around you;
- A baby or child who has never been vaccinated against the flu must be vaccinated twice a year, so that the protection is optimal;
- Vaccination must be renewed periodically, because no one remains immunized for long;
- The flu vaccine provides your child with maximum protection for 7 months, during the flu season (October to April).
The flu vaccine for vulnerable children
It’s obvious, the baby is the first person at risk likely to contract the flu virus. However, there are other profiles of individuals who can be easily affected by this virus, namely:
- A toddler (6 months to 5 years old);
- A child who suffers from heart disease and lung disease;
- A child or a person who suffers from a chronic disease weakening the immune defense.
You should know that flu complications often lead to high fever and seizures.
The best prevention against the flu virus is vaccination, especially for a child under 5 years old and a baby over 6 months old..
What should I do to prevent my child from getting the flu?
It is advisable tointroduce strict rules for contact with people who have the flu or who are likely to have it. Avoid visiting family members or friends who are sick and don’t let your child play with children who are not vaccinated. Ask your child to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, and to throw the tissue away after each use.
Other measures should also be considered to prevent your baby or child from contracting the flu. To help you prevent flu contagions, here are some measures to follow, including:
- Keeping children away from someone with the flu;
- The actions and habits to adopt to prevent the spread of the disease if members of the entourage are affected.
In relation to the child, the actions to be taken by the person who has contracted the virus
From the onset of symptoms, the person prone to infection is required to:
- Restrict contact with fragile people, especially babies, but also pregnant women, the elderly and people with chronic illnesses;
- Wear a disposable mask before approaching a child or baby;
- Use disposable paper tissues;
- Perform barrier gestures, as during the Covid epidemic, sneeze into the bend of the elbow and wash your hands with soap and water or hydroalcoholic gel.
Things to do with your child
- Keep your baby or child away from the patient as much as possible;
- Ventilate the house well to limit the risk of infection and spread;
- Clean the devices that the patient has touched to limit contagion.
Lhe surest way to prevent the flu is to have your baby vaccinated. Also, you should know that the strain of the flu virus changes every year. Therefore, it is essential to be vaccinated annually in order to benefit from the adequate doses.