While it is early in flu season, several states are already reporting sporadic levels of flu activity. Check back here every week during flu season to see how active the flu is in your state. You may also want to look at some of these tips on preparing for flu season:

• Your Flu Season Tool Kit
• Where To Find Flu Shots
• Dean Cain's Take on the "Faces of Influenza" Campaign

Over the past year there have been a lot of changes regarding cold and flu medications for young children. Last fall, all of these medications were withdrawn from the market for children under 2 and the FDA recommended that children this age not receive any cold and cough medications. This was due to the fact that they have never been proven effective in this age group and they have some serious side effects and risk of overdose.

This fall, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, which represents most of the manufacturers of kid's cold medications, announced that they would change the labeling on their products to recommend that they not be used in children under 4 or just to help children sleep at any age. This change came as the FDA is currently deciding whether to ban these products for children under 6 years old. However, that decision could take up to a year.

The FDA has stated that their main concern with banning the products is that parents may continue to give their children these medications, they will just guess at the dosage. This could actually lead to more overdosing, which is what the ban would be designed to cut down on.

With all this controversy surrounding cold medications for children, I want to know what you think. The next time your child gets sick, what will you do? Don't worry, the poll is completely anonymous so be honest!

If you are concerned about the effects these medications may have on your kids and want some alternatives when they are sick, check out these new ideas for taking care of your child's cold without medication.

Not many people actually enjoy getting shots. This is especially true for children. Kids have to get a lot of shots throughout their childhoods, so it is no wonder they are so afraid of them. Who wants to deal with that pain?

Well, those shots really are beneficial and most parents realize that the benefits outweigh the brief pain that they cause.

Many parents struggle with how to prepare their children for these shots though. Do you tell them ahead of time? Do you wait until the last minute?

Our Guide to Parenting Preschoolers has written a great article about how to prepare your kids for shots and immunizations. Just in time for flu season.

After you have read the article, share your strategies for dealing with childhood shots. What do you do to get your children ready for their shots? Share your experiences in the comments and you may help other parents as well!

When you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you may be questioning what you can and can't put into your body. There are all sorts of different rules when it comes to medications and vaccines. So it's no wonder many women aren't sure if they should get a flu shot when they are pregnant or breastfeeding.

On this question though, the evidence is clear. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you definitely need a flu shot. Recent studies have proven that women who get a flu shot while they are pregnant pass on even more protection to their infants when they are born.

And since babies can't get flu shots until they are 6 months old, you should get yours to make sure you protect your infant.

Getting a flu shot, rather than the intranasal vaccine (Flumist), is recommended for women who are pregnant and breastfeeding.