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H1N1 AND YOU
Dr Arlene King, Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health, answers your Frequently Asked Questions (scroll down for answers):
1. How does H1N1 flu impact children?
2. Is the vaccine safe?
3. How do I tell if my child has H1N1, the flu or a cold?
4. When should I take my child to the doctor?
5. My child has H1N1. How can I prevent myself and the rest of my family from getting sick?
6. When can my child with H1N1 return to school?
7. What can I do to help prevent my child from getting sick? (besides hand washing)
8. News reports about H1N1 have my kid pretty scared. How can I reassure her?
1. HOW DOES H1N1 FLU IMPACT CHILDREN?
Most children in Ontario who develop flu will be sick for a few days with fever and cough, and then get better. Children may have different flu symptoms than adults, and flu symptoms may vary for each child depending on their age and other factors.
Older children will likely have the same symptoms as adults: sudden fever or chills, cough or shortness of breath, sore throat, fatigue (lack of energy), and achy muscles or joints. Young children and infants may be irritable and eat poorly, or develop a hoarse cry and barking cough. Younger children – especially children under 6 months old – may also have diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain. Sometimes children may not have a fever.
2. IS THE VACCINE SAFE?
It is recommended that everyone six months or older get vaccinated with the H1N1 vaccine. The H1N1 vaccine is made of inactivated pieces of the virus. It cannot give you the flu.
The vaccine is safe for adults, children and people with chronic conditions. The Canadian Pediatric Society and Public Health Agency of Canada have confirmed the safety of the H1N1 vaccine. Public health officials recommend that getting immunized is the best method for protecting everyone from the flu.
3. HOW DO I TELL IF MY CHILD HAS H1N1, THE FLU OR A COLD?
The following table developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada provides a general guide to symptoms associated with H1N1 flu and the common cold. However, only health professionals can reliably diagnose a respiratory illness.
4. WHEN SHOULD I TAKE MY CHILD TO A DOCTOR?
There are a few resources that you can use to help you make that decision. For example at ontaro.ca/flu there is a Flu Assessment Tool that can help you decide if your child needs medical care.
If you are unsure, you can also call Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000.
Watch for any signs that your child’s symptoms are getting worse. Call 911 or take your child to the nearest hospital emergency department RIGHT AWAY if your child has any of the following symptoms :
5. MY CHILD HAS H1N1. HOW CAN I PREVENT MYSELF AND THE REST OF MY FAMILY FROM GETTING SICK?
Included below are some tips to help all those parents out there who are trying to keep their families healthy while also caring for a sick family member:
6. WHEN CAN MY CHILD WITH H1N1 RETURN TO SCHOOL?
Your child can return to school 24 hours after the fever has resolved and he/she is feeling well enough to resume normal activities.
It is common for a child to have a cough for days to weeks after a respiratory infection. If your child has a cough but no other symptoms, it is safe for him/her to go to school.
7. WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP PREVENT MY CHILD FROM GETTING SICK? (BESIDES HAND WASHING)
The single best way to protect your child from getting H1N1 is to get them vaccinated. In addition to the vaccination, consider these tips:
8. NEWS REPORTS ABOUT H1N1 HAVE MY CHILD PRETTY SCARED. HOW CAN I REASSURE HER?
It’s important to talk to your child about the flu, how germs are spread and why it’s important to stay healthy. Ask them about what they have heard, and talk to them about their specific fears. Reassure them that there are many things they can do to stay healthy such as hand washing.
Dr Arlene King, Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health, answers your Frequently Asked Questions (scroll down for answers):
1. How does H1N1 flu impact children?2. Is the vaccine safe?
3. How do I tell if my child has H1N1, the flu or a cold?
4. When should I take my child to the doctor?
5. My child has H1N1. How can I prevent myself and the rest of my family from getting sick?
6. When can my child with H1N1 return to school?
7. What can I do to help prevent my child from getting sick? (besides hand washing)
8. News reports about H1N1 have my kid pretty scared. How can I reassure her?
1. HOW DOES H1N1 FLU IMPACT CHILDREN?
Most children in Ontario who develop flu will be sick for a few days with fever and cough, and then get better. Children may have different flu symptoms than adults, and flu symptoms may vary for each child depending on their age and other factors.
Older children will likely have the same symptoms as adults: sudden fever or chills, cough or shortness of breath, sore throat, fatigue (lack of energy), and achy muscles or joints. Young children and infants may be irritable and eat poorly, or develop a hoarse cry and barking cough. Younger children – especially children under 6 months old – may also have diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain. Sometimes children may not have a fever.
2. IS THE VACCINE SAFE?
It is recommended that everyone six months or older get vaccinated with the H1N1 vaccine. The H1N1 vaccine is made of inactivated pieces of the virus. It cannot give you the flu.
The vaccine is safe for adults, children and people with chronic conditions. The Canadian Pediatric Society and Public Health Agency of Canada have confirmed the safety of the H1N1 vaccine. Public health officials recommend that getting immunized is the best method for protecting everyone from the flu.
3. HOW DO I TELL IF MY CHILD HAS H1N1, THE FLU OR A COLD?
The following table developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada provides a general guide to symptoms associated with H1N1 flu and the common cold. However, only health professionals can reliably diagnose a respiratory illness.
| SYMPTOM | H1N1 FLU | COLD |
| Fever | Almost always | Rare |
| Chills | Common | Not common |
| Onset of Symptoms | Sudden (hours) | Over several days |
| Aches | Severe | Slight |
| Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea | Sometimes | Not common |
| Coughing | Dry cough | Wet cough |
| Tiredness | Moderate to severe | Mild |
| Headache | Common | Not common |
| Stuffy Nose/Sinus Pains | Not common | Common |
| Chest Discomfort | Mild to moderate | Common - severe |
| Sore Throat | Common | Common |
| Decreased Appetite | Common | Not common |
| Runny Nose | Common | Common |
| Sneezing | Not common | Common |
4. WHEN SHOULD I TAKE MY CHILD TO A DOCTOR?
There are a few resources that you can use to help you make that decision. For example at ontaro.ca/flu there is a Flu Assessment Tool that can help you decide if your child needs medical care.
If you are unsure, you can also call Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000.
Watch for any signs that your child’s symptoms are getting worse. Call 911 or take your child to the nearest hospital emergency department RIGHT AWAY if your child has any of the following symptoms :
- Difficulty breathing / shortness of breath when doing very little or resting.
- Blue lips, cold feet/hands/toes, sudden paleness.
- Extreme lack of energy; limp or unconscious.
- Continuous vomiting or severe diarrhea with signs of dehydration such as dry tongue, dry mouth, decreased peeing (no urine for the past 6-8 hours), or very yellow/ orange urine.
- Stiff neck, sensitive to light.
- Seizures or convulsions.
- Confusion or disorientation.
5. MY CHILD HAS H1N1. HOW CAN I PREVENT MYSELF AND THE REST OF MY FAMILY FROM GETTING SICK?
Included below are some tips to help all those parents out there who are trying to keep their families healthy while also caring for a sick family member:
- Introduce a hand washing regime! Make sure your family members wash their hands frequently to avoid getting sick. Everyone should wash up before eating and after using the restroom, coughing and blowing their noses.
- Put a temporary hold on “sharing”. Try to prevent those who are sick from sharing utensils (e.g., cups or straws), toothbrushes or towels with healthy family members.
- Early to bed! Ensure your family gets enough sleep to help fight off the flu.
- Keep surfaces clean and disinfected – particularly those popular surfaces in the house that get touched by the whole family – i.e. door knobs, counters, phones, toys, remote controls, video games, etc.
- A little distance isn’t always a bad thing. Consider having your sick family member sleep in a room away from the rest of the family to help prevent the spread of the flu. If kids share a room temporarily have one child sleep in a separate room to help limit spread in close quarters.
- Make sure the rest of the family has received the H1N1 vaccination.
6. WHEN CAN MY CHILD WITH H1N1 RETURN TO SCHOOL?
Your child can return to school 24 hours after the fever has resolved and he/she is feeling well enough to resume normal activities.
It is common for a child to have a cough for days to weeks after a respiratory infection. If your child has a cough but no other symptoms, it is safe for him/her to go to school.
7. WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP PREVENT MY CHILD FROM GETTING SICK? (BESIDES HAND WASHING)
The single best way to protect your child from getting H1N1 is to get them vaccinated. In addition to the vaccination, consider these tips:
- While it’s been said many times, we will keep saying it! Wash those hands. Remember, viruses can live on your hands for up to five minutes.
- Keep an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (gel or wipes) handy in different spots of your home and in your car. It needs to contain at least 60% alcohol to be effective.
- Teach your child to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when they cough or sneeze and throw the tissue out. Teach them to cough into their upper sleeve if they don’t have a tissue.
- Avoid large crowds of people where viruses can spread easily.
- Keep common surfaces and items clean and disinfected including toys. Just think, viruses can live on hard surfaces that you touch with your hands – like countertops and telephones – for up to two days.
- Encourage your child to get plenty of rest and to eat healthy food in order to keep their immune systems strong.
8. NEWS REPORTS ABOUT H1N1 HAVE MY CHILD PRETTY SCARED. HOW CAN I REASSURE HER?
It’s important to talk to your child about the flu, how germs are spread and why it’s important to stay healthy. Ask them about what they have heard, and talk to them about their specific fears. Reassure them that there are many things they can do to stay healthy such as hand washing.
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