What to know about influenza in children

Influenza is a viral infection of the airways. Children may develop fever, chills, cough, sore throat, headache, body aches, tiredness, reduced appetite, vomiting or diarrhoea. Symptoms can vary by age, and a young child may mainly seem unusually sleepy, irritable or unwilling to drink.

Most children recover with supportive care, but infants and children with long-term medical conditions can become seriously unwell. Flu can also spread readily through coughs, sneezes, hands and shared surfaces.

Encourage frequent fluids and allow quiet rest. Keep the child home while feverish or too unwell for normal activities, and improve ventilation and hand hygiene around the household. Use fever medicine only as directed for the child’s age and weight; never give aspirin to a child unless a clinician specifically advises it.

A clinician may consider antiviral treatment for some children, especially when illness is severe or the child has a higher-risk condition. Do not use antibiotics unless prescribed for a bacterial infection, because they do not treat influenza.

Get urgent help for difficult or fast breathing, blue or grey lips, severe dehydration, a seizure, confusion, unusual difficulty waking, chest pain or a child who is rapidly worsening. Seek prompt medical advice when an infant is unwell, fever persists, or a child with a long-term condition develops flu symptoms.

Ask how to dose fever medicine, whether antiviral treatment is appropriate, how to protect siblings or vulnerable relatives, when school or nursery can resume, and whether your child should receive seasonal flu vaccination.