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H1N1 Influenza Information
Many
people are concerned about the novel H1N1 flu virus. CDC has
determined that
the new H1N1 virus is contagious and is
spreading from person-to-person, probably
like seasonal flu. The symptoms of this new
H1N1 flu virus in people are similar to the
symptoms of seasonal flu and include fever,
cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose,
body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A
significant number of people also have
reported diarrhea and vomiting.
Most people who have been sick with this
virus in the U.S. have recovered at home
without treatment. If your child has
flu-like symptoms, please keep him or her at home
for seven days or 24 hours after symptoms
resolve, unless given other instructions by
your pediatrician or their staff.
Like seasonal flu, complications can occur
with novel H1N1 flu. Seek emergency
medical care if your child becomes ill and
experiences any of the following warning
signs:
- Fast breathing
- Trouble breathing
- Bluish or gray skin color
- Becoming dehydrated
- Severe or persistent vomiting
- Not waking up or interacting as usual
- Being so irritable that your child does
not even want to be held
- Fever returns after being absent for a
day
Again, seek emergency medical care if your
child becomes ill and experiences any of
those warning signs.
It's important that your child not be
exposed to other children who are sick, and that if
your child has a flu-like illness that he
or she does not expose other people, in order to
keep from spreading illness.
There are some things you can do to keep
you and your child healthy:
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue
when you cough or sneeze. If you don't
have a tissue, cough or sneeze
into your upper sleeve, not your hands. Put your
used tissue in the waste
basket.
- Wash hands often with soap and water,
especially after coughing or sneezing. If
soap and water aren't
available, use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
- Avoid close contact with sick people.
- If your child gets sick with a flu-like
illness, stay home from work or school and
limit contact with others to
keep from infecting them.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
Germs spread this way.
**** PLEASE NOTE *****
A swine flu vaccine is currently being
developed. This is a separate vaccine from the
recommended flu shot. We are awaiting
instructions from the federal government as
to how the vaccine will be distributed. We
will advise you as soon as information
becomes available.
If you'd like more information on novel
H1N1 flu, please visit the CDC website at:
www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu
To view answers to frequently asked
questions regarding H1N1, click
here.
To listen to a podcast regarding the H1N1
vaccine, click
here.
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