Although swine flu never really seemed to go away since it began last spring, as we continued to see a small number of cases all summer, and a big peak in swine flu cases in the fall, we are finally seeing a decline in flu activity.

Surprisingly, most states have already seen widespread cases of flu, a time when we are usually just starting to see our first cases of flu in a typical year.

Flu Confusion

The early flu cases this year brought a lot of confusion for parents. In addition to being confused about the different strains of flu that your kids can catch, seasonal flu vs. H1N1 swine flu, and the different flu vaccines that your kids should get, parents are confused about just how concerned they should be right now.

Experts have learned a lot about swine flu since the original swine flu hype that led to school closings last year. One of the most important things we have all learned is that the H1N1 swine flu strain of the flu doesn't seem to cause more severe flu cases in most children. Instead, the main concern is that since it is a new flu strain, many more kids will get sick with this flu strain than in a typical flu season. In fact, some experts predict that up to 30 to 50% of Americans could get sick with swine flu this year vs. the 20% that get the flu in a typical flu season.

Although most kids have mild swine flu symptoms, that doesn't mean that the H1N1 swine flu is something to ignore. After all, there have been at least 248 pediatric deaths from swine flu since the swine flu pandemic began.

Flu Season Questions and Answers

Getting some answers to common questions about this year's flu season should help you understand how to best care for your child, avoid the flu, and avoid the hype:

1) How many flu shots will my kids need?

According the latest recommendations, all kids from the ages of 6 months to 18 years should get a seasonal flu vaccine. Since this seasonal flu vaccine won't protect them from the H1N1 swine flu, they should also get a swine flu vaccine.

So that means that most kids will need at least two flu vaccines this year. Some will need even more, as kids under age nine years who are getting a seasonal flu vaccine for the first time need two seasonal flu vaccines separated by at least one month.

Children under age ten years will also need two doses of the swine flu vaccine.

2) Where will I get a swine flu shot for my child?

Swine flu vaccines are being distributed to many places, including local health departments, healthcare provider offices, schools, and pharmacies, etc. Your best place to get one is likely going to be your pediatrician though.

The H1N1 swine flu vaccine is now widely available.

3) My child recently was diagnosed with the flu, did he have swine flu?

He almost certainly did have the H1N1 strain of flu or swine flu if he had the flu in the summer or fall, since the seasonal flu season hasn't started yet and the CDC states that almost all strains of flu being tested right now are the swine flu strain.

4) What are the symptoms of the swine flu?

Swine flu symptoms are the same as regular flu symptoms and can include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some kids with swine flu also have diarrhea and vomiting, which is less likely with seasonal flu.

5) Is there a treatment for the swine flu?

While the anti-viral flu medications Tamiflu and Relenza are available to treat the H1N1 strain of flu, experts recommend that they only be used for high risk patients. This is to help reduce the chance that the swine flu virus will build up a resistance to these medications, like we already saw with the seasonal flu virus and Tamiflu last year. So your child will likely only get treated with Tamiflu if he has a chronic medical condition, like asthma or diabetes, etc., if he is in the hospital, or if he is under age five years old.

6) Are they going to close schools or day care centers because of swine flu this year?

Parents can expect far fewer school closings because of swine flu this year. The CDC states that school closings might be considered if there is excessive absenteeism among students or staff at a school or if the outbreak becomes more severe.

7) How do I help my kids avoid the flu?

In addition to getting them their seasonal flu vaccine and H1N1 swine flu vaccine, you can help your kids avoid the flu by encouraging them to wash their hands often, avoiding kids who are sick with the flu (keep your kids home if they have the flu), and teach them to avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth, so they don't help flu germs get into their body.

While swine flu isn't something to be overly scared of, it also isn't something to ignore.

It is likely best to balance some of the 'media hype' that comes through now and then with some healthy respect for a virus that is likely going to a very long cold and flu season.

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