How to Avoid the Flu Epidemic

In case you hadn’t noticed, we are in the middle of a FLU EPIDEMIC.

I hope you and your family have been lucky enough to avoid this fast-spreading virus, and for those of you who have avoided it, I’d like to share some important information regarding “The Flu”, published by the CDC (Center for Disease Control). Our pediatricians at Mercy Pediatric Clinic follow the guidelines of the CDC, and many of the questions from parents coming into our office can be answered with these guidelines, so we wanted to share them with you.

But first, a disclaimer:  obviously the media has us all concerned with the rising number of fatalities, but please note, most of those cases have underlying health issues, and most did not receive flu vaccines.

  • The number one way to protect your child against the flu is to vaccinate, even if the vaccine does not always cover every single strain.  With yearly vaccines, we are finding children who develop the flu to have a 74% reduction of ICU admissions.

  • To help reduce the spread of influenza, practice good hand washing and teach this practice to your children, especially before eating.

  • Keep your children home if they should develop a fever, and keep them home until it has been gone for at least 24 hours.

If your child develops flu-like symptoms and you are unsure if they should be seen by a doctor, please feel free to contact our office with any further concerns or questions.  Thanks so much, and we hope that your family is staying HEALTHY!  The good news is that Spring is coming SOON!

 

 

 

Special thanks to Becky, the triage nurse from Mercy Pediatric Clinic, for sharing this information with us today.  Once again, if you’re looking for a pediatrician for your little ones, we highly recommend the friendly staff and fun atmosphere of Mercy Pediatric Clinic.  Give them a call at 319.

Iowa City Moms Blog
At Iowa City Moms Blog we’re a group of local moms who are passionate about connecting other moms to one another and to our community! Whether you’re an experienced mom, a newbie, expecting, or aspiring to be a mom someday, this blog is for you! Join us as we navigate this journey that is motherhood in the Iowa City area!

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