This flurry of stories about kids getting gravely ill and even dying from common respiratory viruses is enough to put any parent on edge, particularly as their kids head off to day care or school and return home with runny noses and persistent coughs. So far, there is no evidence that the 2018-2019 respiratory virus season is shaping up to be particularly bad — or that respiratory illnesses have become more virulent or widespread in recent years. So, while parents shouldn’t fret too much over the possibility of severe complications stemming from respiratory viruses, they might also do well to accept them as a fact of life for a certain stretch of the year. It’s too soon to say what this flu season holdsThe 2017-2018 flu season was a particularly severe one across all age groups, resulting in more than 180 pediatric deaths — the highest number the CDC has recorded during a regular flu season. But public health experts resoundingly agree that parents can help protect their children by getting them a flu shot.

Source: Huffington Post October 31, 2018 15:22 UTC