Swine Flu Outbreak: Information for Parents and Child Care Providers

With today’s highly interconnected, globalized societies, it is inevitable that the spread of virus can lead to more severe results from country to country. In fact as of May 12, 5,000 cases of swine flu infection have been reported in 30 countries according to the World Health Organization. As healthy people are becoming highly susceptible to this pandemic virus, more so to young children who are more predominantly vulnerable to illnesses. With the growing number of infected people and death case because of the A (H1N1) virus, it is important that we protect children in child care centers, schools, and at home.

Symptoms of the flu include high fever, fatigue, coughing, sore throat, and runny nose. Some people can also experience stomach symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite.

Swine flu virus can be passed from person to person through coughing and sneezing of people with the virus. Also, people may get infected through touching surfaces contaminated with virus. Infected people can directly pass on virus to others one day before the symptoms appear and up to five days after getting sick. For children, the flu can be contagious for up to 10 days after the infection. In short, infected people with swine flu are contagious before and while they know they are sick.

There are two kinds of vaccine against influenza. The “flu shot,” an inactivated vaccine, is given with a needle usually in the arm. It contains killed virus that can be injected to people six months or older, including healthy people and those with chronic illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, and heart disease. The “nasal-spray” flu vaccine on the other hand, contains live viruses and is given through nasal sprayer. I was approved in 2003 with other term as LAIV for Live Attenuated Influenza vaccine or FluMist®. It can be used by healthy people aged 2-49 who are not pregnant.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises people to get flu vaccinations as soon as vaccine becomes available in their community. More importantly, vaccination before December is highly recommended since this is the time when flu is commonly prevalent. However, flu season can begin as early as October and as late as May, so having vaccine right away can really provide protective benefit.

Children six months up to 9 years old should be vaccinated against influenza. Having received their first dose of vaccine, they still have to get second and third dose in the next two seasons. Once they get vaccinated, antibodies develop in their bodies in two weeks. For children younger than 9 years old who only get one flu vaccine, they still have to be vaccinated four or more weeks later. However, children who only had one dose could have no protection at all against the flu virus. They should be vaccinated at least two doses to maximize their protection from flu infection.

Aside from children, CDC also recommends that parents, child care providers, and other people who have direct contact with children get adequate flu vaccine to avoid flu infections affecting children.

See: How to start a childcare service