Respiratory illnesses can share symptoms, so pay attention to how you feel, protect others, and seek medical advice when symptoms are severe or you are at higher risk.

Seasonal Flu in Children: Symptoms, Care, and Warning Signs

Focus keyword: seasonal flu in children

How flu may affect children

Seasonal influenza is a contagious viral illness that can make children feel suddenly unwell. Symptoms may include fever or chills, cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache, body aches, tiredness, and reduced appetite. Some children also experience vomiting or diarrhoea. Not every child has a fever, and symptoms can overlap with COVID-19 and other infections.

What parents can do at home

• Encourage rest: allow your child to sleep and return to school or activities gradually when well enough and in line with local health guidance.
• Offer fluids often: water, oral rehydration solution when appropriate, soup, or other age-suitable drinks can help maintain hydration.
• Monitor comfort and behaviour: watch whether your child is alert, drinking, urinating, and breathing comfortably.
• Use medicines safely: ask a clinician or pharmacist about age-appropriate fever or pain relief and follow the label. Never give aspirin to children or teenagers with suspected flu unless specifically directed by a doctor.
• Reduce spread: encourage handwashing, cough etiquette, ventilation, and avoiding close contact with vulnerable people while ill.

Who needs extra attention?

Children younger than five, especially those under two, and children with conditions such as asthma, heart disease, diabetes, or weakened immunity may be at higher risk of complications. Contact a healthcare professional promptly if a child in a higher-risk group develops flu symptoms. A clinician may consider antiviral medicine, which works best when started early.

Warning signs that need urgent care

Seek urgent medical help if a child has fast or difficult breathing, ribs pulling inward with each breath, bluish or grey lips or face, chest pain, unusual confusion or difficulty waking, seizures, severe muscle pain that prevents walking, or signs of dehydration such as no urine for around eight hours, a very dry mouth, or no tears when crying. A fever in an infant younger than three months needs prompt medical assessment. Also seek care if symptoms improve and then return with a worse fever or cough.

Prevention at home and school

Ask your child’s healthcare professional about seasonal flu vaccination and any other vaccines recommended for their age. Keep children home while they are too unwell to participate or may spread infection, and teach handwashing and cough etiquette without frightening them.

Frequently asked questions

How long does flu last in children?

Many children improve over several days to about two weeks, though cough and tiredness may last longer.

Do all children with flu need antibiotics?

No. Antibiotics do not treat influenza viruses; they are used only when a clinician identifies a bacterial infection.

When should I call the doctor?

Call early for a high-risk child, worsening symptoms, poor fluid intake, or any concern about breathing or alertness.

How to monitor a child through the day

Parents do not need to measure every detail constantly, but regular checks can help. Notice whether your child responds normally, can take fluids, urinates as usual for them, and breathes without visible effort. Offer small, frequent drinks if a large cup feels difficult. For babies, continue age-appropriate feeding and ask a clinician about hydration concerns. Record when symptoms began and any medicine given, including the dose and time, so you can share accurate information if you seek advice.

Medicine safety for children

Children’s doses often depend on age and sometimes weight, so follow the specific product label and professional advice. Do not give aspirin to a child or teenager with suspected influenza unless a doctor specifically directs it. Avoid giving multiple products with the same active ingredient, and never use another person’s prescription medicine. Honey may soothe cough in children older than 12 months, but it must never be given to infants under one year because of the risk of infant botulism. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before using cough and cold products in young children.

School, siblings, and household prevention

Keep a child home when they are too unwell to participate or could spread infection, following school and local public-health guidance for returning. Encourage handwashing and cough etiquette in a calm, age-appropriate way. Ventilate shared rooms when possible and limit close contact with family members at higher risk. Children with asthma or other chronic conditions may need an illness action plan from their clinician.

Is a high temperature the only sign that a child needs help?

No. Breathing effort, alertness, fluid intake, urination, severe pain, and a child’s overall behaviour are also important. Seek urgent care for serious warning signs or if you are worried about rapid deterioration.