What Is the Flu

What Is the Flu?

Influenza (say: in-floo-en-zah) is also called the flu. It's an infection that causes fever, chills, cough, body aches, headaches, and sometimes earaches orsinus problems. The flu is caused by the influenza virus (say: vy-rus). A virus is a microorganism (say: my-croh-or-gah-nih-zum), which means it's so small that you can't see it without a strong microscope.

One Shot Needed This Year

Last year, there was a lot of talk about the H1N1 (Swine) Flu virus. That’s because it was a new type of flu virus and the regular flu vaccine (say: vak-seen) didn’t include protection from it. That’s why people needed two different flu shots. But this year, the regular flu vaccine has been changed so that it will protect against H1N1.

The vaccine is available as a shot (injected through the skin) or as a spray mist (into the nostrils). Most kids older than 2 can get the spray mist vaccine. Kids younger than age 9 need two doses of the vaccine if they have never had a flu shot or did not get the H1N1 vaccine during the 2009-2010 flu season. Older kids and teens need only one dose.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the flu vaccine for all people age 6 months and older. If you’re a kid, that means you!

Certain people are at higher risk of complications from the flu, including:

• pregnant women
• children younger than age 5, especially those younger than 2
• people age 65 and older
• people of any age who have long term health conditions

So if you’re a kid who has asthma, diabetes, or another health problem, your doctor will recommend you get a flu shot.
Flu vaccines are usually given in the fall, before flu season starts. Flu season means the months of the year when a lot of people have the flu and it's easy to catch it. It usually starts in November and ends in May.