Expert tips for parents to prepare as flu season begins

Flu season is beginning, and it's a time that can be stressful for busy parents and families.

Influenza, more commonly known as the flu, can be more serious than the common cold and other illnesses, especially for kids with chronic conditions and those under 5 years old, the Centers for Disease and Prevention notes.

To help parents prepare, ABC News spoke with Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, the chief executive officer of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, to get expert tips for parents to get ahead of the flu season.

What are the flu vaccine recommendations this year?

The IDSA, as well as other physician groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommends everyone, including parents and kids over the age of 6 months, get a flu vaccine.

"The vast majority of really bad outcomes, the worst being death, but also including hospitalization for flu-related illness, occur in kids who are unvaccinated," Marrazzo said. "When you look at the worst flu years, for example, 2025, 2024, they were not good for kids. We had between 150 and 180 deaths in kids, and over 90% of the kids who died, unfortunately, were unvaccinated."

Young children between 6 months to 23 months old can receive an injection of the inactivated flu vaccine, while children between 2 to 8 years old have an option between the inactivated injection or an intranasal live attenuated flu vaccine -- a nasal spray.

"You can choose, in that young age period, between those two vaccines. That's nice because it helps avoid a shot in kids who are at that age, very concerned and very sensitive [to injections]," Marrazzo said, adding that the exception is that children with a compromised immune system or conditions such as asthma should not receive the nasal spray flu vaccine.

For children 9 years and older, they can receive an inactivated flu vaccine shot, an intranasal vaccine, or a recombinant flu vaccine.

What to stock at home ahead of the flu season

Parents should encourage and remind children to practice good hygiene, including washing hands regularly and covering coughs, to keep sickness at bay.

But when respiratory symptoms do develop, influenza may appear similar to other respiratory viruses so having common medications on hand can help support the recovery process.

Flu symptoms may include fever, chills, a cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue or gastrointestinal issues, such as vomiting and diarrhea, according to the CDC.

"It's good to have on hand things like child acetaminophen or Tylenol, or even ibuprofen like Advil or Motrin, because you can treat those fevers directly," Marrazzo said. "Otherwise, it's really supportive care. You want to make sure the kid is really well hydrated. Ideally, you'd like to have the child not be around other people in the household if you think it's the flu."

When to see a doctor for the flu

Parents should always consult with and talk to their child's pediatrician or doctor about any concerns about their child's health, including before and when they get sick or if they develop any new symptoms.

"If you have a very young child, certainly less than a year old, you don't want to mess around because you want to make sure they're OK," Marrazzo said. "[Other times to talk to your child's doctor are] if your child has serious medical conditions, asthma, cancer, or lung disease, if the baby or child is on dialysis. Those are some things that you want to pay special attention to."