Nursery World - Carers alerted to serious risk of flu

Early years settings are on their guard for children with influenza after health experts warned against underestimating the effects of the contagious virus on young children. The warning was given by scientists John Oxford, a professor of virology at St Bart's Hospital in London, and Professor Robert Booy of the Royal London Hospital, in a report, Influenza: Do we know enough?

The warning was given by scientists John Oxford, a professor of virology at St Bart's Hospital in London, and Professor Robert Booy of the Royal London Hospital, in a report, Influenza: Do we know enough?

The report, which is the first of its kind to examine the impact of paediatric influenza, revealed that children are three times more likely than adults to be infected with the virus and that of those children infected, more than one per cent will require hospitalisation.

The report also warned that daycare centres and school classrooms are 'high risk' areas when influenza is around. But it said infection can be difficult to detect in children aged under five because it is hard for them to describe their symptoms.

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