A flu shot takes about two weeks to start protecting you, so booking it is the first item here and the rest can wait until after the appointment. Everything else on this list is what you want in the house, and the plans you want settled, before anyone in the family runs a fever.
Use it in early fall, before flu is spreading where you live. It is for households, and it is most useful if you have young children, someone over 65, someone pregnant, or anyone with asthma, diabetes or heart disease. They are more likely than others to get seriously ill from flu.
Flu antiviral medicines work best when started within two days of the first symptoms. If someone in your home is at higher risk, ask their doctor now how to get a prescription quickly when the time comes, rather than working it out with a feverish patient.
- Book a flu shot for everyone in the household who can get one — Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure whether it is right for someone.
- Check the pharmacy's minimum age before bringing children — The age a pharmacist can vaccinate a child varies by state. Younger children may need to go to the pediatrician.
- Ask the pediatrician whether a young child needs two doses this season
- Check whether your insurance covers the shot at a pharmacy or only at the doctor's office
- Ask any higher-risk family member's doctor about antivirals — Find out whether they will prescribe by phone or video once symptoms start.
- Put your doctor's evening and weekend line and a local urgent care in your contacts — Note the urgent care's opening hours and whether it sees children.
- Check your insurer's telehealth option and set up the account now — Logging in for the first time with a fever is harder than it sounds.
- Test the thermometer and replace its battery if needed
- Check expiry dates on fever and pain relievers
- Keep children's versions on hand, and dose by the child's weight — The dosing chart is on the package. If it does not cover your child's age or weight, ask a pharmacist or doctor before giving a dose.
- Never give aspirin to children or teenagers with flu symptoms — It is linked to Reye's syndrome, a rare but serious illness.
- Read multi-symptom cold medicine labels for acetaminophen — Taking one of these on top of plain acetaminophen can add up to too much.
- Stock tissues, soap and hand sanitizer
- Stock drinks and easy food for sick days — Broth, crackers, electrolyte drinks and ice pops keep for weeks in the pantry or freezer.
- Write down each person's medicines, allergies and conditions — Keep the list on your phone for urgent care visits and telehealth calls.
- Pick a room or a bed where a sick person can rest apart from the others — Give them their own towel and a cup that nobody else uses.
- Read your school's or daycare's rule on keeping a sick child home — Many set a fever-free period before a child can come back, so know it before the first sick morning.
- Line up backup childcare for days a child has to stay home
- Check your employer's sick leave and work-from-home rules
- Plan who checks on any older relative who lives alone — Agree on a daily call or text during a bad week.
- Make handwashing on arrival home a family habit
- Learn the flu warning signs that need medical care right away — They include trouble breathing, chest pain, confusion, a child who will not drink or is hard to wake, and a fever that comes back after improving.