Be prepared: Know when to go to the ER if your child gets the flu
At USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital, positive influenza cases increased from 51 cases in September to 745 cases in October. In the first three days of November, the hospital saw 138 influenza cases. Learn how to keep your family safe and when to seek medical care.
Influenza activity is unusually severe in Alabama among children. At USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital, positive influenza cases have risen from 51 in September to 745 in October and 138 in just the first three days of November.
This swift spread of flu is also resulting in a rapid increase of hospitalizations among children and at USA Health, there are more children hospitalized for flu than RSV.
The flu vaccine is mandatory for all USA Health employees, but it is also important to ensure that the entire family is protected against the virus – especially children.
Benjamin Estrada, M.D., FAAP, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at USA Health and professor and vice chair of pediatrics at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama, urges families to take steps immediately to prevent influenza infection. “We encourage parents to take the necessary preventative measures to protect their children, themselves and others through strategies that we know are effective, including influenza vaccination for everyone older than six months, hand-washing and mask-wearing in crowded environments or when someone is sick at home,” he said.
To find out more about how to get a flu vaccine for your family, contact your pediatrician or primary care provider.
