Flu & Children with Neurologic Conditions

Children of any age with neurologic conditions are more likely than other children to become very sick if they get flu. Flu complications may vary and can include pneumonia and even death for some children.

Some children with neurologic conditions may have trouble with muscle function, lung function or difficulty coughing, swallowing, or clearing fluids from their airways. These are problems that can make flu illness worse.

Vaccination is the Best Protection against Flu

The best way to prevent flu and its potentially serious complications is for everyone 6 months and older to get a flu vaccine every year. It is especially important for children with neurologic conditions to get vaccinated since they are at a higher risk of experiencing complications if they become ill from flu.

Some children will need more than one dose of a flu vaccine to be protected. Your doctor can determine the number of doses your child needs to be protected against flu. Children younger than 6 months are too young to get a flu vaccine. Learn more about protecting infants against flu.

In children, annual flu vaccination has been shown to:

• Reduce flu illnesses, doctor’s visits for flu, and missed school days.
• Reduce the risk of flu-related hospitalization and death.

The live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), also known as the nasal spray vaccine, is recommended as an option for use in people 2 through 49 years old. The nasal spray vaccine is not recommended for pregnant people and for people with some chronic medical conditions. There is a precaution against the use of nasal spray flu vaccine (LAIV) in people with certain underlying medical conditions, including children with neurologic/neuromuscular disorders.

Your doctor or other health care provider can answer any questions you might have about flu vaccine.

Other Preventive Actions for Children with Neurologic Conditions

In addition to getting a flu vaccine, children with neurologic conditions should take the same everyday preventive actions that CDC recommends for everyone, including avoiding people who are sick, washing hands often, and covering coughs and sneezes. This also can include taking steps for cleaner air and hygiene practices like cleaning frequently touched surfaces. More information is available about core and additional prevention strategies.

Specific Health Actions for Children with Neurologic Conditions

• Health: Make sure that your child’s chronic health condition is under the best medical control possible.
• Plan: Have a plan for how to take care of your child in case they become sick with flu.

Symptoms and Treatment

Any person with a health condition that increases their risk for complications if they become sick with flu should get prompt medical attention if they have flu symptoms. If your child with a neurologic condition develops fever or flu symptoms, call your doctor or take them to the doctor right away. CDC recommends that doctors promptly treat flu illness in people who are at higher risk for severe flu complications because of have underlying medical conditions with flu antiviral drugs.

Symptoms

Flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Some people also may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than in adults. People may be infected with flu and have respiratory symptoms without a fever.

Treatment

• Influenza antiviral drugs are medicines that fight against flu by keeping flu viruses from making more viruses in your body.
• Antiviral drugs can make your flu illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious health problems that can result from flu illness.
• Treatment with an influenza antiviral drug should begin as soon as possible because these medications work best when started early (within 48 hours after symptoms start).
• You need a prescription from a health care provider for an influenza antiviral medication.
• There are four FDA-approved flu antiviral drugs recommended by CDC this season that can be used to treat the flu.
• Keep your child at home when sick. You can go back to your normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, both are true:
  • Your symptoms are getting better overall, and
  • You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication).*
    • After these two criteria are met, there are some additional precautions that can be taken to protect others from respiratory illness. More information is available at About Preventing Spread of Respiratory Viruses When You’re Sick.
  • *More information about how long people are contagious with flu and what to do if you did not have a fever is available at Flu: What To Do If You Get Sick | CDC.
• Make sure your child gets plenty of rest and clear fluids (water, broth, sports drinks, etc.). Your health care provider may also recommend fever-reducing medicines* based on your child’s age.

Learn more about the use of influenza antiviral drugs in children with neurologic conditions and other medicines for children when treating influenza.

*Children younger than 4 years old should not be given over-the-counter medicines without approval from a health care provider. Also, aspirin should not be given to any child younger than 18 years old who has flu.

When to Seek Emergency Medical Care

If your child has a neurological condition and experience any of the following emergency warning signs of flu sickness, seek medical attention right away!