Kids And The Flu
by Jeff Rusack, Reporter
February 18, 2013 4:45 PM
“It's everywhere right now and it has been for the past month or two,” said Dr. Edward Mailloux, a pediatrician at Sanford Health.
No matter how many precautions you take, it's still possible to catch the flu. And school children tend to be more at risk. But, for children who are already dealing with other aliments, such as a chronic illness, the flu can be extremely dangerous.
“Your lungs and heart are already taxed and especially as a child because there’s not a lot of reserve there and then when you add that kind of insult that influenza can be, then that really is extremely difficult,” said Dr. Mailloux.
Chances are you've already heard someone say it this winter but Dr. Mailloux will say it again.
“If you have a small child and you haven’t got a vaccine yet it's not too late. Get them a vaccine for influenza because it's still out there.”
But, with spring on the horizon, the hope is that longer, warmer days will mean fewer sick days.
“Cold and flu season, we hope in about 4-6 weeks will be over. We hope. Influenza can sometimes hang around until as late as April or May sometimes,” said Dr. Mailloux.
And even with the vaccine, the threat of getting the flu is still very real.
“You're going get exposed to influenza. It's almost impossible not to,” said Dr. Mailloux when talking about children at school and day cares.
