(Memphis) Doctors at Le Bonheur’s Children’s Hospital have been busy over the last couple of weeks treating kids with the flu, and say things could get worse before they get better.
Right now, the emergency department is seeing about 100 patients a day for the flu.
The flu season normal peaks at the end of January.
“We typically see our worst weeks when kids are back in school from the holidays for a couple of weeks. So, maybe it’s going to get worse,” said Chief of Pediatrics Jon McCcullers.
Dr. McCullers, a world-renowned flu researcher, says he is concerned about the secondary infections, like bacterial pneumonia, that kids are getting on top of the flu.
“We are hospitalizing about a dozen a day right now,” said Dr. McCullers.
His best advice for parents is teach their children good hygiene, keep their sick kids out of school, and get them to a doctor early.
“There are medications that can help make the flu milder and can help prevent the transmission to other kids,” said Dr. McCullers.
He says it’s not too late to get your kids a flu shot.
A flu vaccination can provide some protection in as little as a week.
More than 90 percent of children who have been showing up at Le Bonheur’s ER did not get a flu shot.
The CDC says every year an average of 20,000 kids under the age of five are hospitalized due to complications from the flu.