We here at CMO do not recommend giving it to most healthy young children, however. For them, we feel getting natural immunity through having the disease is better, so long as that occurs before age 9-12. We do strongly recommend that teenagers who have never had Chicken Pox get the Varicella vaccine, since the disease is much worse at that age and older. It is often advisable to check to be sure a child has really never had Varicella with a blood test prior to going ahead with the vaccine, as many will turn out to have had unrecognized cases, especially in the older age groups. We are willing to give the vaccine to younger children at parental request, and we have a more detailed handout going over the risks and benefits of the vaccine, as well as our reasons for not recommending it at a lower age.
Winter brings with it many colds and flu's.
Viruses have no specific treatment and generally run their course and go away with no harm done. If your child gets a cold, cough, or congestion the most important thing is fluid. Make sure they are getting plenty to drink. For small infants a bulb syringe to clear the nose will help. Remember, the most important treatment is tender loving care and time.