Flu: A guide for 

parents of children or 

adolescents with chronic 

health conditions

What is flu? 

Influenza (flu) is a contagious respiratory illness 

that infects the nose, throat and lungs caused by 

influenza viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness, 

and at times complications from flu can lead to 

hospital stays and death. Children younger than 5, 

but especially children younger than 2 years old, and 

children and adolescents with certain chronic health 

conditions are at high risk of developing serious flu 

complications. The best way to reduce the risk of flu 

and its potentially serious complications is to get a 

flu vaccine each year. 

What if my child seems very sick?

If your child is experiencing any of the following 

emergency warning signs, you should take him or her 

to the emergency room: 

§ Fast breathing or trouble breathing

§ Bluish lips or face

§ Ribs pulling in with each breath

§ Chest pain

§ Severe muscle pain (child refuses to walk)

§ Dehydration (no urine for 8 hours, dry mouth, no 

tears when crying) 

§ Not alert or interacting when awake

§ Seizures

§ Fever above 104° F

§ In children younger than 12 weeks, any fever

§ Fever or cough that improve but then return or worsen

§ Worsening of chronic medical conditions

When can my child go back to school after 

being sick? 

§ Your child should stay home for at least 24 hours 

after their fever is gone.

§ The fever should be gone without the use of a 

fever-reducing medicine, such as acetaminophen 

or ibuprofen.

§ A fever is defined as 100° F/37.8° C or greater*

*Many authorities use either 100 (37.8 degrees Celsius) or 

100.4 F (38.0 degrees Celsius) as a cut-off for fever, but this 

number can vary depending on factors such as the method 

of measurement and the age of the person.

Is a flu vaccine safe for my child with 

chronic health problems?

Yes. Flu vaccines have a good safety record and a 

number of them are approved for use in children 

older than 6 months, including healthy children 

and children with certain chronic health conditions. 

Because children with chronic health conditions are 

at a high risk of getting flu related complications, it is 

especially important that they get vaccinated.

What flu vaccine should my child get and 

how many doses? 

In general, children with chronic medical 

conditions should get a flu shot rather than a nasal 

spray flu vaccine. Your health care provider can 

help choose the best vaccine option. Additionally, 

children younger than 9 years old may need 2 doses 

of the vaccine the first time they receive flu vaccine. 

Talk with your health care provider to discuss how 

many doses are recommended for your child. 

How can I plan ahead with my child’s 

school or child care?

Find out your child’s school or childcare providers 

plan for flu season. Let them know your child is at 

high-risk for flu-related problems. 

CDC recommends that all children 6 months 

and older, especially those with chronic health 

conditions, get a seasonal flu vaccine every year. 

CS300183A

For more information, visit

www.cdc.gov/flu

or call 800-CDC-INFO

Flu Information
How do I know if my child’s medical 

condition puts them at high risk of 

developing serious flu complications?

A child of any age is at high risk of flu complications if he/

she has any of the following chronic health conditions: 

§ Asthma

§ Neurologic and 

neurodevelopment conditions 

[including disorders of the 

brain, spinal cord, peripheral 

nerve and muscle, such 

as cerebral palsy, epilepsy 

(seizure disorders), stroke, 

intellectual disability (mental 

retardation), moderate to 

severe developmental delay, 

muscular dystrophy, or spinal 

cord injury] 

§ Chronic lung disease (such as 

cystic fibrosis)

§ Heart disease (such as congenital heart disease, 

congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease

§ Blood disorders (such as sickle cell disease)

§ Endocrine disorders (such as diabetes mellitus)

§ Kidney disorders

§ Liver disorders

§ Metabolic disorders (such as inherited metabolic 

disorders and mitochondrial disorders)

§ Weakened immune system due to disease or 

medication (such as children or adolescents with 

HIV or AIDS, cancer, or those on chronic steroids)

§ Children who are taking aspirin or salicylatecontaining medicines

§ Extreme obesity, which has been associated with 

severe influenza illness in some studies of adults, 

may also be a risk factor for children. Childhood 

obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) at 

or above the 95th percentile, for age and sex.

What are signs and symptoms of flu? 

Signs and symptoms of flu can include fever, cough, 

sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body 

aches, headaches, feeling feverish/chills, fatigue 

(tiredness), and sometimes children may also have 

vomiting and diarrhea with flu. It is important to 

note that some sick with flu may not have a fever.

What is a flu complication? 

Most people who get flu will recover in a few 

days to less than 2 weeks, but some people will 

develop complications (health problems such as 

pneumonia) as a result of flu, some of which can 

be life-threatening. 

Pneumonia, sinusitis, and ear infections are 3 

examples of complications from flu. Flu also can 

make certain chronic health conditions worse. 

For example, people with asthma may experience 

asthma attacks while they have flu. 

How can I protect my child against flu? 

The most important thing is for your child to get a flu 

vaccine every year. Children younger than 6 months 

old are at high risk of serious flu illness, but are too 

young to be vaccinated. People who care for them 

and all household members aged 6 months and 

older should be vaccinated. 

In addition to getting a flu vaccine, you and your child 

should take everyday actions to help prevent the 

spread of germs. 

§ Stay away from people who are sick as much as 

possible to keep from getting sick yourself. If you or 

your child are sick, avoid others as much as possible 

to keep from infecting them.

§ Remember to regularly cover your coughs and 

sneezes, wash your hands often, avoid touching 

your eyes, nose and mouth, and clean surfaces that 

may be contaminated with flu viruses. 

These everyday actions can help reduce your chances 

of getting sick and prevent the spread of germs to 

others if you are sick. However, a yearly flu vaccine is 

the best way to prevent flu illness. 

What can I do if my child gets sick?

§ Seek medical care: Call or take your child with 

chronic health conditions to a medical provider 

as soon as possible if your child develops flu 

symptoms—they may want to begin treatment 

with a flu antiviral drug. Antiviral drugs are 

prescription medicines that fight against flu in 

your body. Antiviral treatment works best when 

started soon after flu illness begins, so don’t delay 

in contacting your child’s health care provider if he/

she has symptoms that might be caused by flu. 

§ Stay at home: Keep your child at home, except for 

medical visits, until your child’s fever is gone for at 

least 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing 

medications).

§ Cover coughs: Ensure that your child covers coughs 

and sneezes.

§ Encourage rest and fluids: Make sure your child 

gets plenty of rest and drinks fluids to keep from 

becoming dehydrated.

§ Ask about medicines: Ask your medical provider 

about fever-reducing medicines based on your 

child’s age. Children younger than 4 years old 

should not be given over-the-counter cold or cough 

medicines without approval from a health care 

provider. Aspirin should not be given to children or 

teenagers who have flu; this can cause a rare but 

serious illness called Reye syndrome.

§ Protect those at high risk of flu complications: 

Pregnant women, adults 65 years and older, and 

people with immunosuppression or chronic health 

conditions are at high risk for flu complications, 

and should get a flu shot as the best protection 

against flu. If possible, those who are at high risk 

should not be the main caregiver of a child with 

flu. Additionally, infants younger than 6 months old 

are too young to be vaccinated. The best way to 

protect infants is to make sure the people around 

them are vaccinated.