Building persistence and passion
They may still be in their comfort zone, but young people can be coaxed to have the drive and determination to get ahead.
tions (e.g. asthma, heart disease, kidney disorders, chronic lung disease).
A child who has the flu should:
1. Get plenty of rest at home. Do not let your child go to school/day care in order to avoid infecting other children.
2. Hydrate adequately with plain water. 3. Cover their coughs and sneezes with a clean tissue or cloth, and discard it properly into a bin.
If neither are available, they should be taught to cover their mouths with their hands and wash them thoroughly afterwards.
Influenza in children can also be treated with antiviral drugs that keep flu viruses from reproducing in the body. It only works against influenza viruses and must be prescribed by a doctor. The best way to protect your child from the flu is to get him or her vaccinated each year. It is recommended that children above six months of age get a seasonal flu vaccine from one of the two main vaccine types:
Trivalent: protects against three flu viruses – influenza A (H1N1) virus; influenza A (H3N2) virus; and influenza B/Victoria lineage virus
Quadrivalent: protects against four flu viruses – influenza A (H1N1) virus; influenza A (H3N2) virus; and two influenza B viruses (B/Victoria and B/Yamagata lineage)
Children younger than six months cannot be vaccinated. Therefore, those around them (e.g. parents, siblings, grandparents, caregivers) should be the ones to get vaccinated.
You can do so at any public or private hospital or clinic nationwide after consulting your doctor.
Preferably, we need to get enough people in the population vaccinated to indirectly protect those few who have not, cannot or did not receive them.
This type of broad protection within the population is generally known as “herd immunity”.
Immunisation not just protects the individual, it protects the whole community.
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding are also encouraged to get vaccinated because of the potential high risk complications from flu.
The influenza vaccine is safe to be administered at any time during pregnancy, and also provides protection for the infant during the first six months of his/her life through the transfer of antibodies via the placenta.
Influenza is not a benign illness that can be taken lightly.
Watch your child closely for symptoms of respiratory illness – especially fever – because flu can become severe in high risk children.
Parents should be more aware of the total impact of influenza in children so that we can help decrease the burden of influenza and its complications on children and the wider society. Datuk Dr Zulkifli Ismail is a consultant paediatrician and paediatric cardiologist. This article is courtesy of the Malaysian Paediatric Association’s Positive Parenting programme in collaboration with expert partners. For further information, v is itwww. my positive parenting. org. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. Information published in this article is not intended to replace, supplant or augment a consultation with a health professional regarding the reader’s own medical care. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.