Influenza

Also called the flu, “influenza is a virus that typically causes five to seven days of high fevers, muscle aches, fatigue, cough and runny nose,” says Dr. Katherine Williamson, a pediatrician with CHOC Children’s at Mission Hospital in Orange County, California, and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. “Complications from influenza are pneumonia and hospitalization from secondary bacterial infections.”

Influenza can be dangerous, even deadly, especially in young children. Kids' fevers tend to be higher than in adults, and their digestive symptoms are typically worse, too.

But vaccines are available that can greatly reduce the risk of contracting the illness or lessen its symptoms if your child does get the flu. Your child can be vaccinated from age 6 months onward. Vaccines need to be administered annually, as the formulation changes each year in anticipation of the strain(s) expected to be prevalent in the next season. It takes about two weeks for the vaccine to become effective after it's been administered.

There’s no medication that will cure a case of the flu outright, but “there is an antiviral medication called Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) that may shorten the duration of the illness if started in the first 48 hours of the onset of fevers,” Williamson says. You can also “help your body fight the infection with appropriate rest and fluids. Acetaminophen and ibuprofen can help with muscle aches, fevers and general discomfort.”