Flu season. It’s that time of year when we duck for cover in
Minnesota. We all know someone who has battled the flu. The flu
is a serious respiratory illness, and the symptoms can be
downright nasty – sudden onset of fever, cough, congestion, sore
throat, achy muscles, fatigue, occasionally pneumonia, and, in
extreme cases, death. Each year, an average of 20,000 kids under
5 are hospitalized because of flu-related complications,
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Influenza causes more hospitalizations among young children than
any other vaccine-preventable illness. “Don’t think of influenza
as ‘just the flu.’ For infants and children especially, it can
be a scary, very severe disease. Prevent it,” said Patsy
Stinchfield, nurse practitioner and director of infectious
disease at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. Here
are some easy reminders to keep your family and you healthy
during flu season: - Get vaccinated against the flu. All people
6 months of age and over need an a