If you are feverish and have muscle aches, analgesics like aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen may help you feel better. Because it has been linked to Reye's syndrome, you should not give aspirin to children. If these remedies don't help a severe bout of flu, your physician may give you amantadine or rimantadine, oral antiviral drugs that are active against type A influenza. You need to give yourself time to fully recuperate from influenza and prevent the development of secondary infections that can cause bronchitis, sinusitis or pneumonia. The most effective preventive measure against influenza is to be inoculated every fall against strains that have developed since the previous outbreak.
Influenza vaccine is available through physicians and public-health facilities.
The vaccine is usually given as a single injection, although children may receive two. If you are pregnant, wait until your second trimester and make sure your doctor approves of the vaccination. Some people develop low fever and muscle aches as side effects of the vaccine. Because the vaccine is grown in chicken embryos, it is not recommended for people allergic to eggs. Amantadine and rimantadine are oral antiviral medications that may lessen your risk of contracting type A flu, but they are most effective if you begin to take them a few weeks before flu season begins or within two days after symptoms appear.