For parents, it can be a dilemma to decide if your child should stay home from school when he or she is not feeling well.

“If you think you have the flu, don’t take chances. Stay home,” says Curt Stankovic, M.D., medical director of the Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan DMC.

Influenza flu is an illness that could make some people very sick and can, in rare cases, lead to death.

“It is estimated that each year an average of 20,000 children under the age of five are hospitalized because of flu complications. Severe complications are more common in children younger than two years of age. Children with chronic health problems like asthma, diabetes and disorders of the brain or nervous system are also at high risk of developing serious flu complications. We want to do our best to keep it from spreading around,” Dr. Stankovic says.

Symptoms of the flu are a fever plus one or more of these:

• cough
• sore throat
• runny nose
• body aches
• headaches
• tiredness  

Some people with the flu also might have diarrhea or vomiting. If you have flu-like symptoms, home is where you should be.

By staying home from school (and away from crowds in general), you make it less likely that you will make other people sick. And if it turns out you do have the flu, rest at home is what you need to get better.

What to Do

Parents, these are good steps to tell your children to take if they feel sick:  

1. Tell your mom or dad, so they can check you out. They might want to call your doctor to talk about whether you have the flu or some other sickness.
2. Stay home from school and other crowded places. Also, try not to make other people in your family sick. Do that by washing your hands often, coughing and sneezing into a tissue or your elbow — not into your hands! — and keeping your distance.
3. Get rest, drink plenty of fluids, and feel better fast. Be sure to tell your mom or dad how you're feeling so they can take good care of you.
4. Return to school only when you're feeling better, no longer coughing/sneezing, and you haven't had a fever for at least 24 hours.

For those without insurance, visit our Immunization Station for resources on immunizations.