Table of Contents

• The Flu Has Returned

  • What’s the deal with the vaccine?

  • Flu info from the AAP

  • Influenza myths

• Money-Saving Hack: Flu Medication

• Funny This Week

• Recalls & Alerts: Youth ATVs

The Flu Has Returned

It’s with sadness that I report, Influenza is here in full force. I have seen countless sick kids in the past week and most of them have Influenza A. It’s a miserable illness that will cause significant symptoms. When people say they have “the flu,” they are often erroneously referring to a vomit bug. While you can vomit with influenza, the most common symptoms are fever, body aches, cough, congestion, and sore throat. Anyone can get it, but the very young and the very old are most vulnerable and most likely to end up in the hospital with it.

What’s the deal with the vaccine?

The vaccine is indicated for anyone 6 months or older. If it is your first time getting the flu shot and you are under 8 years of age, you are supposed to get two doses (at least 28 days apart)—think of it like a booster shot.

There are different manufacturers and different formulations of the shot. The flu shot (injectable) is a killed vaccine and the flu mist (a nasal spray) is a live virus vaccine. In our office we stock the preservative-free, single-dose, injections. This is what most allergist offices will stock. While slightly more expensive, I have found that we get less reactions and problems with the shot. The multidose vial (has a preservative in it) is less expensive and what most offices and pharmacies stock.

Flu info from the AAP

Influenza myths

Myth: “I don’t get the flu shot, because I always get the flu from the flu shot.”

Truth: The flu shot (injectable) is a killed vaccine, meaning it is medically impossible to get the flu from the flu shot. It’s like saying a dead spider bit you. Only the nasal mist is live (so there is a theoretical risk of getting the flu from it). Can you get some symptoms as your body mounts an immune response? Yes, but the shot did NOT give you the flu.

Myth: “The flu vaccine is 100% effective in preventing the flu.”

Truth: Deciding what strains to include in the vaccine is a scientific best guess on what strains will circulate in the coming season. While most years are pretty good at covering the common strains, there have been years that aren’t as good. Nothing is 100%, it’s simply the best we’ve got.

Myth: “I’m breastfeeding, I can’t get the influenza vaccine.”

Truth: The Influenza Vaccine is safe for both pregnant and breastfeeding moms.

Myth: “Influenza is a vomit bug.”

Truth: While a small percentage of people may vomit with Influenza, most will experience symptoms akin to a really nasty cold-fever, cough, congestion, body aches, sore throat. 

Myth: “The fever broke, so my kid is not contagious” (aka, I can go to the family Christmas gathering)

Truth: While it’s true that the infected person is most contagious at the beginning of the illness (usually when the fever occurs), they are still contagious when symptomatic. That coughing kid is still shedding virus and should stay home. Most people are sick with Influenza for 7-10 days (but it can last 2 weeks or longer).

Myth: “There is no treatment for flu.”

Truth: There is an antiviral medication called Tamiflu (Oseltamivir phosphate) that can be used early in the illness to slow viral replication, essentially making the virus less severe and shorter in duration. It is not a cure but can help. The medication has side effects, so discuss with your doctor if it’s right for your kid. It’s a weight-based medication and comes in a liquid. It can also be used prophylactically in certain special circumstances (you have an immune compromised kiddo-say one with cancer and a sibling tests positive for Flu).

Money-Saving Hack: Flu Medication

A few years back, my three girls ended up getting Influenza A. I was at work, so I called in the flu medication to the pharmacy and asked my husband to pick it up on his way home from work.

(Note: See the info on Tamiflu I have listed below)

I warned him that the medication would be expensive (anything over $10 is expensive to me) and that was that. I didn’t consider that we had a high deductible plan that wouldn’t cover any of it and I hadn’t educated him about how to use Good Rx. To make matters worse, the pharmacy didn’t have the generic and filled it with the trade name. When I got home, I was horrified to realize that he had spent hundreds of dollars on three scripts. He figured it was fine since I told him it was expensive. I learned an expensive lesson that day on setting expectations. Learn from my expensive experience.

If your child ends up with flu, here’s how to get the medication—the cost difference between the trade name medication “Tamiflu” vs. the generic “Oseltamivir” is significant.

Here’s the breakdown of filling a typical script at CVS using Good Rx (a great cost saving app, if you don’t have health insurance or have a high deductible plan):

Total savings: $143.80-$301.25

Funny This Week

A cute 5 year-old came into my office, and we chatted about the upcoming Christmas holiday. She tells me how she’s been on the Nice List, and she’s all sorts of excited.

She then leans in and proceeds to tell me that Christmas is her mom’s favorite holiday.

“Why?” I ask

The child responds, “Because she doesn’t have to do anything, Santa does it all!”

I nearly guffawed laughing. ‘Yeah, mom, you don’t do anything!’

Recalls & Alerts: Youth ATVs

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Legal Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice or medical treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or the health and welfare of your child. We do not endorse any specific products or brands mentioned in this article. Readers are encouraged to perform their own research and consult with appropriate professionals before making any decisions based on the information provided herein.