Colds and flu are respiratory infections caused by viruses and are very contagious.  Although they are similar in many ways, the flu is far more serious than a bad cold.  Each year about 114,000 people in the United States require hospitalization and about 20,000 people (mostly over 60) die from the flu.  The elderly and children under the age of 2 are more likely to have to go to the hospital with stricken with flu.

Flu season usually extends from November through March.  The peak months for influenza in Kitsap County are January and February.  While the optimal time to get a flu shots is in the fall, a flu shot given later still provides protection.  After getting a flu shot, it take several weeks to build antibodies and the protective effects wanes after three or four months.

Frequent hand washing is the best way to prevent viral infections.  Viruses are spread when you touch your hands to your mouth, nose and eyes. Washing your hands often with sap and water will help keep viruses from entering your body.  Assuring that you and your child eat well and get adequate sleep, exercise, and outdoor activity help to prevent illness.  Eliminated exposure to second hand smoke.  Children who are around tobacco smoke are more likely to get colds and develop asthma.

Children get on average of six to eight colds per year.  In contrast, adults get two to four a year, with a greater frequency in parents with children. There are 200 difference viruses that can cause a cold.  Typically, colds begin slowly, two to three days after infection with the virus.  The first symptoms are usually a scratching, sore throat, followed by sneezing and a runny nose.  Temperature is usually normal or slightly elevated.  Infants and young children may experience more severe cold symptoms and run a slightly high fever.

A runny nose is a normal part of a cold.  When cold viruses infect your nose and throat, your body produces clean mucus, which helps to wash the virus out of your nose.  After two or three days, immune cells that attack viruses cause the mucus to change to a white or yellow color. Bacterial that normally live in your nose also mix with the mucus and can change it to a greenish color.  Thick yellow or green mucus is normal as your body fights the virus and does not mean that an antibiotic is necessary.  Cold symptoms may persist for longer than two weeks..

Signs of the flu include sudden onset with headache, dry cough and chills.  The symptoms become more severe than those of a cold.  The flu sufferer often experiences a “knocked-off-your-feet” feeling with severe muscle aches and fatigue. A high fever is common with the flu.  The fever generally subsides after several days and then respiratory symptoms appear.  Fatigue and weakness may persist for days or even weeks.

Antibiotics do not kill viruses, so they will not make a cold or flu go away any faster.  Antibiotics are only useful in treating bacterial complications (secondary infections) such as sinus or ear infections.  The overuse of antibiotics is a serious problem, resulting in a resistance in bacterial diseases that may render antibiotics ineffective.

Over-the-counter medications can help relieve symptoms if a cold and fly.  Talk with your health care provider about medicines that can help your child feel better.

What is Whooping Cough?
Whooping cough is a serious disease in young children. When it starts, it seems like a simple cold - the child has a runny nose, congestion, and a mild cough. But after a week or two, the coughing progresses to episodes so severe that the child may have difficulty catching his breath. The struggle to take in air produces a tell-tale "whoop" that gives this disease its name. Whooping cough is also called pertussis since it is caused by bacteria known as Bordetella pertussis. A child with whooping cough can even develop pneumonia (lung infection), suffer seizures, or have other complications that lead to hospitalization.

What can you do?
The best way to protect is to be sure your child receives the 5-shot series of vaccinations that doctors routinely recommend. The pertussis vaccine in these shots is combined with vaccines that also protect your child against diphtheria and tetanus. The vaccinations are given when your child is 2, 4, and 6 months of age, with one booster 15 to 18 months of age and another at 4 to 6 years of age. To giver your child the full benefit of these vaccines, your child needs to get all 5 shots.

Will the shots cause a reaction?
At Most, your child likely will have only a little swelling or redness after the vaccination. An earlier form of the vaccine produced more serious effects, but this formulation has been replaced with one that is just as effective and a lot easier on the child.

How can you tell if your child has whooping cough?
Once the prekindergarten child has had the full serious of shots, they are highly unlikely to get whooping cough. But a child younger than 4 years hasn’t had the complete series and so is vulnerable to the infection. If your child has a cold that does not get better within a week and has a cough that gets worse, it's a good idea to take her to the doctor. If the doctor things your child does have whooping cough, he or she will prescribe antibiotics, which will help prevent your child from spreading the infection to other children. You probably will be asked to keep your child out of school for several days.

How does your child get infected?
The infant or young child who gets whooping cough is most likely one who has not had any shots, or has not yet had all the shots recommended. These infants and young children are likely to catch the infection from an adolescent or an adult. The protection from the 5 basic whooping cough vaccinations lasts for about 6 years, so beginning with the preteen years, even those who were immunized as children can get infection and pass it on to others. These infected individuals often don’t get treated because, unlike young children, they tend to have milder symptoms and may not even see a doctor. We now have a new weapon against this problem. The Food and Drug Administration recently approved a booster vaccination designed specifically for adolescents and adults. It protects against pertussis, tetanus, and diphtheria. If this vaccine is widely used, it will lessens the change that you preschool child will catch whooping cough from someone who is older. To learn more about pertussis and other vaccine-preventable diseases, visit a Website with reliable information about immunizations. Two website are www.pertussis.com and www.immunizationinfo.org.