Children and Flu

Some parents think the flu is a stomach bug. But while children may have nausea and/or vomiting with flu, the key influenza symptoms in children include a high fever, chills and shakes, body aches, and a dry hacking cough.

What causes flu in children?

The flu is caused by one of three types of influenza viruses. Types A and B are responsible for the yearly flu epidemics, and type C flu virus causes sporadic illness. Type A flu virus is further divided into different subtypes based on the chemical structure of the virus.

For in-depth information about what causes flu, see WebMD's Flu Facts: Causes of Flu.

How is flu spread among children?

Flu symptoms are highly contagious, particularly when people share close quarters as children do in school classrooms. Flu is spread among children when a child either inhales infected droplets in the air (coughed up or sneezed by an infected person) or when the child comes in direct contact with an infected person's secretions. This can happen, for example, when they share pencils at school or play computer games and share the remotes or share utensils such as spoons and forks. Hand to hand contact is also important to consider when thinking about how flu is spread.

What are flu symptoms in children?

The symptoms of flu in children are more severe than symptoms of a childhood cold. Symptoms of flu in children start abruptly and usually cause kids to feel the worse during the first two or three days of onset. Flu symptoms in children may include:

• a high-grade fever up to 104 degrees F
• chills and shakes with the fever
• extreme tiredness
• headache and body aches
• dry, hacking cough
• sore throat
• vomiting and belly pain

Are there ways to prevent the flu in children?

The number one way to prevent flu is to get an annual influenza vaccination. The CDC recommends that all children ages 6 months to 18 years receive the flu vaccine to prevent influenza. Vaccinating children with the specific influenza vaccine each fall helps protect them against flu.

To learn more about why it's so important for all children to receive the flu vaccine, watch this video from the CDC: Children Lost to the Flu.

Healthy children over age 2 who don't wheeze or have a history of asthma can get the nasal spray influenza vaccine called FluMist. Children ages 6 months and older can qualify for the flu shot.

For in-depth information about how to prevent the flu in children, see WebMD's Flu Shot: Influenza Vaccine and Side Effects.

Also see WebMD's What Is FluMist?

Can there be complications of flu in children?

Some complications of flu in children may include a sinus infection, ear infection, or pneumonia. Call your pediatrician if your child's fever lasts more than three to four days or if your child complains of trouble breathing, ear pain, congestion in the face or head, or a persistent cough. Young children under age 2 -- even healthy children -- are more likely than older children to be hospitalized from the complications of flu.

For in-depth information about flu complications, see WebMD's Flu Complications.