Are any medicines recommended to help children with swine flu?
• Children with influenza should never receive any product that contains aspirin. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin) are fine to treat fever and body aches in children. • Cough and cold medications do not help, and should not be used, especially in young children under 4 years of age. • Most adolescents, adults and children do not need antiviral medicines. Overuse of these medications could be counter-productive and lead to resistance. • People in high-risk groups may need antiviral medicine, which can help shorten the length of illness when taken soon after the symptoms of the flu start. • If your child has more severe influenza symptoms OR is in a high risk group, and you suspect your child has influenza, call your pediatrician. High risk groups include children with asthma, diabetes, another metabolic disease, chronic kidney disease, or sickle cell disease. • It is expected that oseltamivir (Tamiflu) will be more effective if taken soon after the onset of sympt
