Flu season gets early start, raising alarms with pediatricians

This year's flu season in Alabama is already shaping up to be a bad one.

Pediatric leaders around the state are raising alarms about an unusually early round of severe flu cases. Their No. 1 advice is for parents to get their children vaccinated and stop the spread when they can.

The USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital in Mobile saw 51 positive influenza cases in September, 745 cases in October and 138 cases in just the first three days of November, according to a news release in the Alabama Department of Public Health.

The last time that early season influenza activity was this severe was in 2009, when H1N1, or "Swine Flu," emerged, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. The CDC announced the first pediatric flu-related death of the season on Nov. 3.

Pediatric leaders are asking everyone to get vaccinated, mask if sick and wash their hands. Dr. Nola Ernst, from the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, asked parents to not let their guards down this flu season.

"It can be much, much worse than just a bad cold," she said.

Find a vaccine:Use your ZIP code to find a nearby vaccine provider.

Why is the flu so bad this year?

Before the COVID pandemic, flu season typically began in late December and ran through March. That's no longer the case, according to Dr. Benjamin Estrada, a pediatric infectious disease expert with USA Health.

"The typical seasons that we used to see before the pandemic are not happening," he said.

Furthermore, there are many young children who have been masking for their entire school lives — they really never have been exposed to the flu.

"They don't have any immunological memory to find these viruses, and we're talking about two to three cohorts of young children without exposure," Estrada said.

Dr. Wes Stubblefield, with the Alabama Department of Public Health, said that it's too early to say if the flu virus itself is more severe than usual and will result in more deaths, but the flu does kill children and adults every year.

What should I be looking for? When should I bring my child to the doctor?

Parents should be watching to see if their children have a fever. Children with the flu will often have a fever, muscle aches, cough, congestion, sore throat and runny nose for around five to seven days, said Stubblefield.

"Most children with influenza feel horrible," he said.

Ernst said that many children will get a 103 or 104 degree fever in the first day or two. She said that while doctors may not be able to help immediately after onset, children should get medical attention fairly quickly.

In the first 48-72 hours, doctors may be able to administer antiviral medications to help symptoms.

She also recommended children be seen by a doctor if they are suffering severe symptoms like using extra muscles to breathe or signs of dehydration.

"Honestly, pediatricians are here to help with anything parents are worried about," she said. "So, I always tell my patients' families to trust their guts. And if their gut says they need to be seen by a doctor, to have them seen by a doctor."

How can I help slow the spread of the flu?

Every doctor who spoke to the Advertiser said that the most important thing someone can do is get vaccinated. With rare exceptions, anyone older than six months old can receive a flu vaccine.

Stubblefield also encourages parents to teach their kids good "cough etiquette." In other words, children should know to cough into their elbows or into a tissue. He also said that hand sanitizer is particularly effective against the flu, "which is nice."

Ernst also encouraged people to mask up if they are in tight spaces. She said the pandemic has shown that masks are effective against spreading diseases that can travel through droplets.

Stubblefield also said it's a good idea for children to get tested for the flu or viruses, so parents know what treatments are available.

Could schools shut down?

As with COVID, Stubblefield said any decision to close schools because of illness is decided by individual school districts. However, he said respiratory viruses do spread well in schools.

"A lot of kids in a small space — it's just something that happens," he said.

Jemma Stephenson is the children and education reporter for the Montgomery Advertiser. She can be reached at jstephenson@gannett.com or 334-261-1569.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Flu season: What parents need to know about it this year