{"id":412051,"date":"2026-01-17T02:15:20","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T02:15:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/412051\/"},"modified":"2026-01-17T02:15:20","modified_gmt":"2026-01-17T02:15:20","slug":"flu-facts-for-families-how-to-protect-kids-and-know-when-to-seek-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/412051\/","title":{"rendered":"Flu facts for families: How to protect kids and know when to seek care"},"content":{"rendered":"

SALT LAKE CITY \u2014 Flu season is in full swing, with the U.S. seeing its highest rates in 25 years. Utah hospitals have treated hundreds of patients in recent weeks as a new strain of influenza A spreads rapidly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are feeling the crunch in the emergency department for sure,\u201d said Dr. Nelson, medical director of the emergency department at Intermountain Medical Center.<\/p>\n

Nelson said if you do get influenza, there is unfortunately no quick cure \u2014 symptoms can last a week or longer.<\/p>\n

\u201cHealthy or not, the flu usually makes you feel pretty awful,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not like a bacterial infection where you get an antibiotic, and you recover. With influenza, like with any viral illness, it\u2019s going to take time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Certain groups are most at risk: older adults (65+), people with underlying medical conditions and young children. These groups are more likely to experience complications like pneumonia or hospitalization.<\/p>\n

Common symptoms in children and adults include fever, cough, body aches, fatigue, congestion and sometimes vomiting. People can be contagious with the flu starting one day before symptoms start and up to seven days after, making it important to limit contact with others while sick.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Three of the Hubbards\u2019 seven children tested positive for influenza over Christmas break. (Photo courtesy: Dallin and May Bo Hubbard)<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of parents are coming in who are extremely worried about the flu and symptoms of the flu,\u201d said Dr. Dallin Hubbard, a pediatrician and founder of Direct Care Pediatrics<\/a> in Sandy.<\/p>\n

At his clinic, parents can text him directly with questions and get guidance on caring for their child or know when it\u2019s time to head to the ER.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can do some triage work over the phone and help them figure out what they need to do for their family,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Hubbard and his wife, May Bo, are the parents of seven children. Three of their kids tested positive for the flu over the holidays.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they got the body aches, I was like, \u2018Okay, we need to test the kids,’\u201d said May Bo Hubbard. \u201cAll of them were in bed for at least a week.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur house turned into a little hospital,\u201d Dr. Hubbard added.<\/p>\n

Most flu cases, like the ones in the Hubbard household, can be managed at home with rest, fluids and over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol or ibuprofen. Antiviral drugs like Tamiflu don\u2019t cure the flu, but can shorten symptoms if taken within the first 48 hours.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have concerns about how they\u2019re breathing, how they\u2019re acting, you should get them checked out,\u201d Nelson said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Lexi Breen\u2019s six-year-old son was hospitalized with influenza over Christmas. (Photo courtesy: Lexi Breen)<\/p>\n

Lexi Breen, a secretary at Dr. Hubbard\u2019s practice, learned that firsthand when her six-year-old son started showing concerning symptoms right before Christmas.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very scary to have to go in, and to spend Christmas in the hospital was not something we planned on,\u201d she said. \u201cLuckily, he was able to get the help he needed and he recovered quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know your kids best,\u201d she added. \u201cJust go in if you feel like something\u2019s really wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

How to protect your family<\/p>\n

Get vaccinated: Anyone 6 months and older can get a flu shot. Even though the vaccine isn\u2019t a perfect match for the current strain, it can still lessen severe symptoms. You can find locations near you at immunize.utah.gov<\/a>.
\nPractice good handwashing hygiene.
\nStay home when sick to prevent spreading the virus.
\nMonitor children closely and seek medical care for severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing or a high fever.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SALT LAKE CITY \u2014 Flu season is in full swing, with the U.S. seeing its highest rates in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":412052,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[97,252,253],"class_list":{"0":"post-412051","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health-care","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-health-care","10":"tag-healthcare"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/412051","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=412051"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/412051\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/412052"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=412051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=412051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=412051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}