Flu 101: Understanding the Basics

What is the flu?
Influenza, also called the flu (not to be confused with the stomach bug), is a serious illness that affects people of all ages, afflicting five to 20 percent of the American population each year. Complications from the flu result in an average of 36,000 deaths and more than 200,000 hospitalizations in the United States annually.

Flu is very different from the common cold. Both are viruses, but a cold tends to come and go without much incident (see Symptom Snapshot for a side-by-side comparison). The flu infects the lungs, nose and throat. It can cause mild to severe illness, and sometimes complications from the flu, such as pneumonia, can even lead to death. No one wants to get the flu, as it leaves you feeling miserable, disrupts your daily activities and leads to extended absences from work and school.

Flu season can begin as early as October and can extend through April, usually peaking in January or February. Flu spreads one of two ways:

• Usually the flu spreads from person to person through coughing and sneezing.
• Occasionally, people can get the flu from touching a germ-infested surface. Some viruses and bacteria can live from 20 minutes up to two hours or more on surfaces like tables, doorknobs, and desks.

Kids at Higher Risk for Flu
Children, particularly young children, are especially vulnerable to the virus and its complications. According to the CDC, there were 60 influenza-associated pediatric deaths during the 2006–2007 flu season. Experts believe that compared with adults, children do not have as much natural immunity to influenza, because they have had less lifetime exposure. Also, close contact with each other in school, home and day-care settings increases children's risk of contracting and spreading the virus.

Consider these facts:

• Children are two to three times more likely than adults to get the flu. On average, one in every three children in the United States is affected by the virus each year.
• Children can spread the virus for twice as long as adults.
• Children under two years of age—even healthy children—are more likely than other children to be hospitalized from the flu.
• Young children are hospitalized for influenza at rates similar to those experienced by the elderly.
• Children between the ages of two and five have more doctor and emergency room visits because of flu-related illnesses than for any other disease.

Special Considerations: Kids with Asthma, Chronic Conditions
While all children are vulnerable to infection, the flu is especially concerning in children who have existing health problems, including asthma and diabetes, as it is in adults with these conditions. These children are five times more likely than healthy children of the same age to be hospitalized with flu-related illnesses, such as pneumonia, dehydration, Reye's syndrome, croup and ear infections.

The best way to protect your children from the flu bug is to plan early and get vaccinated. In addition to getting vaccinated, you can help fight the flu by practicing good hygiene measures, talking to your doctor to determine if you or your child is a candidate for prescription antiviral medication and taking steps to keep your child's immune system strong.

See Crash Course on Flu Prevention and Treatment section for additional information.

Developed with support from ROCHE

Create Date: 10/23/07
Date Last Updated: 10/23/07