Sneeze, cough or fever this time of year? We blame it on the drop in temperature or fluctuations in humidity and do not take them seriously. But, even if these symptoms in children are caused by weather change, they should not be ignored as they could be a sign of flu. The flu virus spreads rapidly when there are fluctuations in temperature during monsoon and winter.
Therefore, the months between September and November are called ‘flu season’ in India. This season, children need every possible protection to avoid flu complications. Studies have shown that children under 5 years of age are 7 times more likely to be hospitalized due to the flu. Even in complicated cases, children may take 8-10 days to recover. No parent wants this kind of suffering for their children.
The UNICEF report titled The State of the World’s Children 2023: For Every Child, Immunization shows that 67 million children will miss out on one or more vaccinations over three years (2019-2021) due to service disruptions and scarce immunizations due to strained health systems. Missed out on. Resources, conflict and fragility, and lack of self-confidence.
However, fewer children worldwide missed routine vaccinations in 2022 compared to last year, according to new data released by the World Health Organization and UNICEF, indicating a rebound in childhood vaccinations following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr Abhishek Chatterjee of Anav Child Care, New Delhi suggests three ways to prevent the spread of flu and protect children from its complications.
Get your children vaccinated against flu
As the saying goes, ‘better safe than sorry,’ vaccination can ensure protection of children against serious flu complications and is recommended in the guidelines on childhood vaccination issued by the Indian Academy of Pediatrics. Children ages 6 months to 5 years require a vaccination shot every year. This is because there are four types of flu viruses and they are ‘shape changing’. They change their form every year and the annual flu vaccination was developed to combat them.
Make sure you and your children follow basic hygiene measures
Basic hygiene gives an extra layer of protection against the flu and helps prevent or stop its spread. Flu viruses can spread when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks in places where other people are present. Children can get the flu if they come into close contact with other infected children or adults. Since the flu virus can survive on hard surfaces, people can catch it if they even touch a contaminated surface. Therefore, children should be taught to wash hands frequently with soap and water. It is also necessary to clean toys and other items that they use frequently.
If children show any symptoms of flu, do not send them to school or outside.
Symptoms may appear even before the child is diagnosed with flu. This means they can spread the infection to others. Keep them at home for a few days or until your pediatrician clears them to go to school. This helps prevent the spread of flu. Parents should be alert and break this chain of transmission by taking necessary safety precautions.