The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario is promoting flu shots early on in the season, as their demographic involves some of the people who are most at risk.
Getting influenza can be life-threatening or even fatal for all children under five years old, causing complications such as pneumonia, infections around the brain and heart problems.
“Every year at CHEO we see otherwise-healthy children, or children with minor health problems, really get the wind knocked out of them,” said Dr. Lindy Samson.
“(They have) to stay in hospital for a long time with several complications from influenza.”
Dr. Samson said there’s a difference between this influenza and the stomach flu, which causes vomiting and diarrhea.
“Even the mildest case of the flu, people are feeling the worst they’ve ever felt for five to seven days,” she said.
Ottawa Public Health says seven people have been diagnosed with influenza so far this season, with one of them under the age of five.
Tentative kids can be distracted from needles
Eight-year-old Ryan Baines was smiling as he recently arrived at CHEO for the flu shot, with his mother explaining he’s been very sick with influenza before.
“That’s when we realized the flu shots are very important for children,” said his mother Meda Baines.
There are tricks used by CHEO’s doctors to help calm down skittish or fearful children when they’re awaiting their shot.
“(We try to take) their focus off injection and focus it on something else,” said nurse Kowsar Abdulla.
Those strategies include explaining what’s happening, using a numbing spray or something as simple as blowing bubbles.
With a report from CTV Ottawa’s Joanne Schnurr
This article is part of CTV Ottawa and CHEO's Healthy Kids series, airing every Wednesday and inspiring a series of awards.
