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What's new with flu?

Here's the scoop on that not-so-welcome annual visitor

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Originally published in Today's Parent October 2010

Pandemic panic over H1N1 is officially over, according to the World Health Organization. But the bug is expected to be back as one of the seasonal flu viruses that start showing up when chilly days set in. Here’s what you need to know to help your family fend off flu this winter.

Did H1N1 surpass seasonal flu in 2009/10? Yes, it was the most prevalent flu virus circulating last year, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. The good news? Because so many Canadians got the H1N1 shot, overall flu activity was lower than usual by the end of the season. But because the virus is still making the rounds, this fall’s seasonal flu vaccine will also provide protection against H1N1.

Will last year’s H1N1 shot protect my child this year? Probably, since the virus hasn’t changed, but researchers are still trying to establish just how long the protection from the shot lasts.

Who, in particular, should get the seasonal flu vaccine? The National Advisory Committee on Immunization has recommended everyone over six months of age roll up their sleeves, particularly people who are at highest risk of serious illness (including children younger than 24 months, those with respiratory problems — like some former preemies — and expectant moms) and their close contacts, says Joanne Embree, a Canadian Paediatric Society spokesperson and head of infectious disease at Children’s Hospital in Winnipeg.

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