Common flu symptoms include:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle or body aches
• Headaches
• Fatigue (tiredness)
• Vomiting and diarrhea (more common in children) 

The flu often comes on suddenly, while a cold tends to build up more slowly. Fly symptoms can be more severe than the common cold. COVID-19 and flu share many symptoms, but only testing can confirm which virus is causing illness. 

Flu spreads mainly through droplets when people with the flu cough, sneeze, or talk. You can also get the flu by touching a surface or object with flu virus on it and then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes. People can spread flu beginning one day before symptoms develop and up to five to seven days after becoming sick. 

• Children under 5 years of age
• Adults 65 and older
• Pregnant people
• People with chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease
• People with weakened immune systems
• Residents of nursing homes or long-term care facilities 

• Get a flu vaccine every year
• Wash your hands frequently
• Cover your coughs and sneezes
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Stay home when you’re feeling ill 

Flu viruses change each season and your immunity from the vaccine decreases over time. The yearly vaccine is updated to match the strains expected to circulate in communities and helps maintain protection. 

No. Flu vaccines do not contain live virus that can cause illness. Some people may have mild side effects like a sore arm or low-grade fever, but these are not symptoms of flu. 

Ideally, you should get a flu shot prior to flu season starting (October). It takes about two weeks after vaccination for your body to develop protection against flu viruses. Getting vaccinated later is still better than not getting vaccinated at all. 

• Stay home and rest
• Drink plenty of fluids
• Use fever reducers if needed
• Call your healthcare provider 

Children are more likely to get sick from the flu and spread it to others. Classrooms and childcare centers involve close contact and shared surfaces, which help flu viruses spread quickly. Preventing flu in these settings protects students, staff, and families. 

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Fatigue (tiredness)
• Vomiting or diarrhea

Please note that not everyone will have a fever so it’s important to monitor for other symptoms too. 

• Isolate sick children from others until they can be picked up
• Send sick children and staff home as soon as possible
• Children and staff should stay home until they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-suppressing medication 

• Disinfect high-touch surfaces daily (e.g., hard and soft toys, desks, and doorknobs)
• Wash shared items between uses
• Encourage proper handwashing and respiratory hygiene 

• Send flyers, emails, or texts reminding families to vaccinate and keep sick children home.
• Display posters about hand hygiene and flu symptoms.
• Share local health department or public health region contact information. 

Notify your local health department or public health region if:

• You observe a sudden increase in flu-like illness or absenteeism related to flu-like illness.
• Multiple students or staff in a class or group report having the flu.
• You need help coordinating testing or outbreak response. 

Flu can cause significant absenteeism, reduce productivity, and spread quickly in office or shared work environments. Encouraging flu prevention helps keep your workplace healthy and operations running smoothly. 

• Encourage annual flu vaccination
• Promote hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette
• Provide alcohol-based hand sanitizer and frequently disinfect shared surfaces
• Encourage employees to stay home when sick 

We recommend that employees stay home until they are fever-free for at least 24 hours without using fever-reducing medication and are feeling well enough to resume normal activities.