The NewsWorthy Special Edition: Flu Season & Conflicting Vaccine Recommendations
Jan 31, 2026
Dr. Céline Gounder, an infectious disease physician and epidemiologist, explains the current severe H3N2-driven flu season and what that means for families. She breaks down symptoms, when to seek care, and why antivirals work best early. She unpacks the CDC and AAP vaccine split, insurance implications, and which vaccine questions to bring to your pediatrician.
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When Flu Becomes An Emergency
- Seek emergency care for very high fever, breathing difficulty, or dehydration.
- Watch for flaring nostrils in babies, abdominal breathing, inability to keep fluids down, or very dark urine.
When To Return After Flu
- Wait at least 3–4 days after symptoms begin and see improvement before resuming normal activities.
- Ideally keep kids home about a week from symptom onset to reduce contagious spread.
Vaccine Goal: Prevent Severe Outcomes
- Vaccination still reduces severe disease, hospitalization, and death even with H3N2.
- Preventing severe outcomes, not just infection, is the main goal of the flu vaccine.