Flu (Influenza) in Keiki — Medicaid (QUEST) Accepted

Influenza — the flu — hits children harder and faster than a common cold: high fever, body aches, and a wiped-out, miserable child, often coming on within hours. Most keiki recover at home, but the flu is not something to shrug off in young children, and there is a lot you can do to prevent it.

What the flu is and who is most at risk

The flu is a respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies children younger than 5 — and especially those younger than 2 — as being at higher risk of serious flu-related complications, along with children of any age who have chronic conditions like asthma. That higher-risk status shapes how quickly we act.

Signs and symptoms

Flu tends to come on suddenly with fever, chills, body aches, headache, sore throat, cough, and exhaustion. Vomiting and diarrhea can happen too, more often in children than adults. The abruptness and the aches are what usually separate flu from a gradual common cold.

How we approach it at Ohana Care Clinic

Prevention comes first: the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend annual flu vaccination for everyone 6 months and older, and it is the single best protection for keiki. If your child does get the flu and is at higher risk of complications, antiviral medicine works best when started early — the CDC notes these antivirals are underused in exactly the children who benefit most, so if your child is very young or has a chronic condition, call us promptly rather than waiting it out. Most healthy children recover with rest, fluids, and fever comfort. We weave in the behavioral side too: a hard flu season disrupts sleep and school, and we help families get back to lōkahi — balance — as your child recovers.

Getting care by telehealth

Most of our care at Ohana Care Clinic happens by secure video across Hawaiʻi. A new primary-care or pediatric patient is seen in person for the first visit at our Hilo clinic; after that, many follow-ups and quick questions work well by video. When your keiki is sick, a video visit can often tell us whether they need to be seen in person, saving you a drive when it isn’t needed.

When to get help now

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if your child is struggling to breathe, turning blue around the lips, unresponsive, severely dehydrated, or you believe this is a life-threatening emergency. When in doubt, call us at (808) 867-8002 or use our symptom checker for after-hours guidance on whether your child needs to be seen.

Medically reviewed by Donna Leonard, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, pediatric nurse practitioner, and George Mackel, MSN, APRN, NP-C, PMHNP-BC, CARN-AP, President & Owner of Ohana Care Clinic.
Date published: July 2, 2026 · Last reviewed: July 2026 · Citations verified: July 2026

This article is general health education from Ohana Care Clinic, reviewed by Donna Leonard, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, and George Mackel, MSN, APRN, NP-C, PMHNP-BC, CARN-AP. It is not a substitute for a personal evaluation by a qualified clinician who knows your child’s situation, and reading it does not create a provider–patient relationship. If you think your child may have a medical condition, reach out to us or another licensed provider. In an emergency, call 911.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). Flu and children. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/highrisk/children.html

American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Infectious Diseases. (2025). Recommendations for prevention and control of influenza in children, 2025–2026: Policy statement. Pediatrics, 156(6), e2025073620. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2025-073620