Flu Cases Already Confirmed at HSHS Medical Group Pediatrics – O’Fallon

It’s flu season, and HSHS Medical Group Pediatrics – O’Fallon has already received multiple flu cases for the 2019-2020 season.  
 
“Children—especially those under age five—are very susceptible to the flu,” said Kathryn Wade, MD, a pediatrician with HSHS Medical Group Pediatrics – O’Fallon. “And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a flu shot for everyone over six months old. When you vaccinate your family against the flu, you’re not only protecting them, you’re protecting everyone they come in contact with by not spreading flu germs.”
 
The flu is a very contagious disease caused by the influenza virus, and the illness can be very mild or severe. People who are at high risk for the flu—including older people, young kids, pregnant women and people with specific health problems—can experience complications and end up in the hospital or possibly die. Symptoms of the flu can include: fatigue, fever, headache, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, sore muscles and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea.
 
The flu can spread when people who are infected cough, sneeze or speak. When the droplets they produce come in contact with the noses and mouths of people close to them, they can be inhaled. It can also spread when people come in contact with items that have the flu virus on them then touch their eyes, nose or mouth. The best way to prevent the spread of the flu is through a yearly flu vaccination.
 
It's not too late to get your family vaccinated against the flu. Call your primary care physician to schedule your family’s flu vaccinations today.