The classic symptoms of the flu include a sudden onset of fever, headache, body aches, and fatigue, accompanied by upper respiratory symptoms, such as cough, sore throat, and runny nose
* Children younger than 3 years of age tend to have higher fevers, have a higher risk of febrile seizures, may have less prominent respiratory findings, and tend to have more stomach 
complaints (eg, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, poor appetite).
* Younger children may not be able to tell their parents how they are feeling and need closer observation.
* Patients with an uncomplicated course of the flu usually improve gradually over about one week, but symptoms—especially cough—may persist longer, particularly in young children. Weakness and easy fatigability may last for several weeks in older children and are sometimes referred to as “post-influenza asthenia.”
Complications from the flu can include pneumonia and hospitalization. Furthermore, in chldren, the flu virus can be shed and spread to others for days past the fever resolution.
Get your children’s flu vaccine to help them avoid all the misery!
-Leigh, CPNP
