H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)
Seattle Children’s Hospital is monitoring the situation closely and following public health recommendations to ensure the safety of our patients and their families. We are working closely with Public Health – Seattle & King County, the Washington State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to keep you informed.
To protect all of our patients, families and staff:
- We will be screening everyone for flu-like symptoms at all hospital entrances
- Children younger than 12, including siblings of patients, are not allowed on the inpatient units at Seattle Children's
- If you have a patient coming for a scheduled surgery or clinic appointment, we encourage you not to bring siblings
Flu Vaccinations
Vaccinate your child against both types of flu. There are separate vaccines against the seasonal flu and H1N1 flu this year.
Seasonal flu vaccine
- If your child is younger than 9 and is being vaccinated for seasonal flu for the first time in their life, they need to receive two doses. The second dose should be given four weeks after the first dose.
- If your child is younger than 9 and has been vaccinated for seasonal flu in a past flu season, your child will need one dose of seasonal flu vaccine this year.
- If your child is 9 or older, they are protected from seasonal flu with just one dose of seasonal flu vaccine.
- Babies younger than 6 months of age are too young to get seasonal flu vaccine.
H1N1 flu vaccine
- If your child is 9 years or younger, they will need two doses of the H1N1 vaccine to be protected. The second dose should be given four weeks after the first dose. If your child is 10 or older, they are protected from H1N1 flu with just one dose of the H1N1 flu vaccine.
- Experts recommend that those in the priority groups get their H1N1 vaccination as soon as it becomes available. The priority groups are: pregnant women; household contacts and caregivers for children younger than 6 months of age; healthcare and emergency medical services personnel; all people from 6 months through 24 years of age; and persons aged 25 through 64 years who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from flu.
- Babies younger than 6 months of age are too young to get H1N1 flu vaccine.
For Patients and Their Families
We are currently out of seasonal flu vaccine. Please check this site later for the most current information about seasonal flu vaccine availability.
As of Friday, November 13, 2009, we have a limited supply of H1N1 flu vaccine available for our patients. We do not currently have seasonal flu vaccine. Our Flu Vaccine Room is open for Children's patients only. This includes any child who has been a patient at Children's during the past year.
The Flu Vaccine Room, located at the Giraffe entrance, is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Flu Vaccine Room is for walk-ins only; we do not take appointments.
To learn more about flu vaccinations, visit:
H1N1 Flu Vaccine: Q&A
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/public/vaccination_qa_pub.htm
General Questions and Answers on 2009 H1N1 Influenza Vaccine Safety
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/vaccine_safety_qa.htm
Public Health – Seattle and King County H1N1 Vaccination
http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/preparedness/pandemicflu/swineflu/pharmacies.aspx
The Who, What, When and Where of H1N1 Flu Vaccine (DOC)
H1N1 Flu Symptoms
The symptoms of H1N1 flu in people are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people also have diarrhea and vomiting. Flu symptoms can last as little as one day or longer than a week. It varies from child to child.
Like seasonal flu, H1N1 flu may cause persons with chronic medical conditions to get sicker.
For help deciding if your child has the flu, visit:
Interactive Flu Assessment: Guidelines for Parents
http://www.choa.org/ecall/ (English)
http://www.choa.org/ecall/?lan=1 (Spanish)
When to Go to the Doctor or Come to the Hospital
Most people with the flu do not require medical care or testing. You should use the same judgment about going to the doctor or hospital that you would during a typical flu season. Do not seek medical care if your child is not sick or if symptoms are mild.
If your child has a fever and symptoms such as cough, sore throat, runny nose or a stuffy nose, call their doctor before coming to the hospital. The doctor will decide if your child needs to come to the hospital or not.
Call 911 if your child:
- Is not waking up or not interacting
- Has a hard time breathing and has bluish lips
Call your child’s doctor now if your child:
- Has fast breathing or trouble breathing
- Shows signs of dehydration (very dry mouth or no urine in more than 8 hours)
- Is so irritable that they do not want to be held
- Has flu that has improved, but then returns with fever and worse cough
- Has a fever with a rash
- Has a fever that lasts more than three days
Treating Your Child's Flu at Home
- Make sure that your child drinks plenty of fluids
- Have your child rest and do quiet activities
- If your child is uncomfortable because of a fever, you can give acetaminophen (Tylenol) if your child is over 3 months old. Or, you can give ibuprofen (Motrin) if your child is over 6 months old. Make sure to give the correct dose, based on your child's weight.
- Encourage everyone at home to clean their hands often
- Never give your child aspirin
- Do not give multiple-symptom cough and cold medicine to children under 4
Check with your doctor if your child has the flu and close contacts at home are pregnant, are young infants, are elderly, have a suppressed immune system or have a chronic medical condition.
To learn about taking care of your child at home when they are sick, visit:
Taking Care of a Sick Person in Your Home
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance_homecare.htm (English)
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/espanol/persona-enferma.htm (Spanish)
CDC Recommendations for the Amount of Time Persons with Influenza-Like Illness Should be Away from Others
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance/exclusion.htm
Children with Chronic Health Conditions and the Flu
Children with chronic health conditions, like heart or lung disease, diabetes, asthma, a neurodevelopmental condition or a neuromuscular disorder can get very sick from the flu. If your child has a chronic health condition and has flu symptoms, call your child's doctor. Your child may need to be tested and treated for the flu. Your child should also get both the H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines as soon as they are available.
To learn more about chronic health conditions and the flu, visit:
Information about the Flu – Including the new H1N1 Flu – for People with Certain Medical Conditions
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/freeresources/2009-10/pdf/certain_medical.pdf
Visiting Children’s
Children younger than 12, including siblings of patients, are not allowed on the inpatient units at Seattle Children’s.
We are screening all families and visitors for flu-like symptoms daily. If parents and caregivers are sick, we may ask you to wear a mask. Your charge nurse also will talk with you about other ways you can safely be with your child. If visitors and siblings over 12 are sick, they will be asked to visit another day.
The safety of our patients and their families is our top priority. We are taking extra steps to prevent infection from spreading. This includes isolating patients who may be infected with a contagious illness, using negative air-flow rooms and using personal protective equipment like gowns, masks and eye guards as needed.
Prevent the Spread of Flu
- Wash your own and your child’s hands often with soap and warm water. Alcohol-based hand cleansers also work. Children should sing their ABCs twice in a row while washing their hands to ensure the proper length of time.
- Avoid people who are sick.
- People with the flu should stay home from work or school. They should stay home while they are sick and for at least one day after they no longer have a fever, without the use of fever-reducing medicines.
- Cover noses and mouths when coughing or sneezing: use tissue or the crook of your elbow when you cough or sneeze and throw the tissue away in a covered trash bin.
- Remind children to keep their hands away from their face to avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth.
- Clean shared spaces often, including phone receivers, keyboards, steering wheels and office equipment.
- Avoid sharing personal items such as forks, spoons, toothbrushes and towels.
- The single best way to prevent the flu is to get the vaccines.
H1N1 Flu Basics
H1N1 flu (referred to as “swine flu”) is a new influenza virus. This virus is spreading from person-to-person the same way that regular seasonal flu viruses spread. People who are infected can spread the virus when they cough or sneeze. Sometimes, people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their eyes, mouth or nose.
H1N1 flu does not seem to be stronger than seasonal flu, but because it’s a new strain, few people have any immunity to it. This means the virus can spread easily and infect a lot of people. This makes it more likely that people at high risk for serious complications from the flu will get it.
Resources to Help You Learn More
Seattle Children’s Flu Information Line
Call 206-987-2500 or 866-987-2500 toll-free for information about seasonal flu and H1N1 flu in English and Spanish.
Public Health – Seattle and King County Flu Hotline
Call for frequent updates about vaccine availability and, once more vaccine arrives, locations where you can get H1N1 vaccinations. Information is in English and Spanish at 877-903-KING (5464), Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
2009 H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) and You
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm (English)
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/Arabic/qa_AR.pdf (Arabic)
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/Francais/qa_FR.pdf (French)
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/Russian/qa_RU.pdf (Russian)
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/Simplified_Chinese/qa_SCH.pdf (Simplified Chinese)
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/espanol/influenza-porcina-y-usted.htm (Spanish)
Taking Care of a Sick Person in Your Home
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance_homecare.htm (English)
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/espanol/persona-enferma.htm (Spanish)
CDC Recommendations for the Amount of Time Persons with Influenza-Like Illness Should be Away from Others
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance/exclusion.htm
Advice for Parents on Talking to Children About H1N1 Flu Concerns
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/talkingtokids.htm (English)
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/espanol/padres/padres-hablar-con-hijos.htm (Spanish)
H1N1 Flu Vaccine: Q&A
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/public/vaccination_qa_pub.htm
General Questions and Answers on 2009 H1N1 Influenza Vaccine Safety
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/vaccine_safety_qa.htm
Public Health – Seattle and King County H1N1 Vaccination
http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/preparedness/pandemicflu/swineflu/pharmacies.aspx
The Who, What, When and Where of H1N1 Flu Vaccine (DOC)
Information about the Flu – Including the new H1N1 Flu – for People with Certain Medical Conditions
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/freeresources/2009-10/pdf/certain_medical.pdf
Novel H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) and Feeding Your Baby
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/breastfeeding.htm (English)
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/espanol/lactancia.htm (Spanish)
Interactive Flu Assessment: Guidelines for Parents
http://www.choa.org/ecall/ (English)
http://www.choa.org/ecall/?lan=1 (Spanish)
Latest News from CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/ (English)
http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/espanol/ (Spanish)
Latest News from Public Health – Seattle and King County
http://www.kingcounty.gov/health/H1N1
Information updated: November 5, 2009