Influenza, or "the flu," is a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory tract (nose, throat and lungs).
The flu virus tends to spread from November to April, with most cases occurring between December and March.
The flu is often confused with the common cold, but flu symptoms tend to develop quickly (usually one to four days after a person is
exposed to the flu virus) and are usually more severe than the typical sneezing and congestion associated with a cold.
Influenza is often accompanied with:
- Fever
- Headache
- Extreme tiredness
- Dry cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Muscle aches
Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are also common symptoms in children.
A person infected with the flu virus will typically suffer from the illness for approximately seven to ten days, with five to six days
of limited activity and about three days of bed rest. When that average is applied nationwide, the flu and its complications
lead to more than 200,000 hospital stays per year and an average of 36,000 deaths (primarily in the elderly).
Each year, between 10 and 20 percent of the U.S. population is infected with the virus.
Sometimes, the flu season can be more severe when a major circulating strain of influenza does not match any of the
strains selected by world health organizations for the vaccine formulations - this is called a vaccine mismatch.
An annual flu vaccination can help prevent the spread of influenza between individuals and may help save lives of
those most susceptible of having severe and fatal complications from the flu.
How Serious is the Flu in Children?
Children have the highest chance of getting sick from the flu and often spread the germs throughout their communities.
During bad flu seasons, about 30 percent of school-aged children get sick. Even though vaccinations help cut down on
flu-related missed school days by 47 to 56 percent, children are rarely vaccinated against the illness. As a result, children
sick with the flu miss about 38 million school days every year. Consider these other facts:
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Approximately 20,000 children under the age of five are hospitalized due to the flu each year.
Infants and toddlers are hospitalized as a result of influenza at rates similar to elderly people and at higher
rates than people of all other ages.
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On average, nearly 100 children die in the United States from influenza and its complications every year.
Click here to download an informational sheet about influenza's impact on children.