Immune Support for Kids: A Parent’s Guide to Cold and Flu Season

Kids Written for parents: kid-friendly guidance, checked against the research.

It is that time of year again. The backpacks are out, the classrooms are full, the weather is turning, and the first sniffles of the season are already making the rounds. Fall and winter are peak season for colds, flu and other respiratory bugs, and kids catch more of them than anyone: young children can pick up six to eight colds a year. Now is the time to give your family’s immune health a little extra care, before the season is in full swing.

The good news is that the things that make the biggest difference are simple and mostly free. Herbal formulas can play a supporting role too, as long as you know what the evidence does and does not show. Here is our parent-friendly guide to helping kids stay well this season, and what to do when a bug gets through anyway.

😴 Sleep: the most underrated immune booster

During sleep the immune system does a lot of its maintenance work, and studies in adults show that people who sleep less are noticeably more likely to catch a cold when exposed to the virus. Children need more sleep than most parents think. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends:

• Ages 1 to 2: 11 to 14 hours a day, including naps
• Ages 3 to 5: 10 to 13 hours, including naps
• Ages 6 to 12: 9 to 12 hours
• Ages 13 to 18: 8 to 10 hours

A steady bedtime, a wind-down routine and screens out of the bedroom do more for a child’s defenses than any supplement on the shelf.

🧼 Handwashing: boring, but it works

A large review of community studies found that improving hand hygiene reduced respiratory illnesses by about a fifth. Teach kids to wash with soap and water for 20 seconds (two rounds of “Happy Birthday”), especially after school, before eating and after blowing their nose. Hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol is a good backup when there is no sink. Coughing into an elbow and not sharing cups or utensils help protect the rest of the family too.

🥦 Food, play and vitamin D

A child’s immune system needs protein, zinc, iron, vitamins A and C and plenty of fiber to feed healthy gut bacteria. You do not need fancy superfoods: aim for a colorful mix of fruit and vegetables, beans, eggs, fish or meat if your family eats them, yogurt and whole grains, and go easy on sugary drinks. Our recipes include kid-friendly options like smoothies and banana bread.

Active outdoor play helps too. And vitamin D deserves a mention: a large 2017 analysis in the BMJ found daily or weekly vitamin D supplements reduced acute respiratory infections, with the biggest benefit in people who were low to begin with. Many kids get less sun in fall and winter. Ask your pediatrician whether your child needs a vitamin D supplement and at what dose, rather than guessing.

💉 The flu vaccine

The CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend a flu vaccine every year for everyone 6 months and older, ideally by the end of October. Flu can be serious in young children, and vaccination lowers the chance of getting very sick. Talk to your pediatrician about the flu vaccine and any other vaccines recommended for your child’s age.

🌿 Where herbs fit in

Herbal formulas for kids are very popular, and some herbs have interesting research behind them, but it is worth being clear about where the evidence stands.

• Elderberry: in adults, small trials found black elderberry shortened flu and cold symptoms by a day or more, and a 2019 meta-analysis concluded it reduced upper respiratory symptoms. There is very little research in children, so we see it as a reasonable, gentle option rather than a proven one. Read our full elderberry guide for the details.
• Honey: for children over 1 year old, a Cochrane review found honey probably relieves cough better than no treatment and about as well as common cough medicines. Never give honey to a baby under 12 months, because of the risk of infant botulism.
• Astragalus, echinacea and other immune herbs: traditionally used and studied in adults, with limited and mixed research in kids.

If you want to try herbs, choose products made specifically for children, with clear dosing by weight or age, and check them with your pediatrician first, especially if your child has a health condition or takes any medicine.

🧰 Our pick for the season: a kids’ herbal toolkit

If you want a ready-made set for the season, the WishGarden Herbs Kids Wellness Essentials Bundle puts four children’s formulas in one box, each for a different job:

• Elderberry Syrup, Everyday Immunity for Kids: elderberry, astragalus, orange peel and honey, meant as a daily tonic through the season, with no added sugar. Contains honey, so it is not for babies under 1.
• Kick-It Immune, Activator for Kids: for the first signs of a bug. WishGarden notes it is not meant for daily use.
• Kick-It Cough, Soothing & Quieting for Kids: to calm coughs and soothe sore throats.
• Congestion Rescue, Immune Support for Kids: for stuffy heads and chests and scratchy throats.

The three tinctures come in 2 oz pump bottles and the elderberry syrup in a 4 oz bottle. Each label gives weight-based dosing for children. The tinctures are extracted with organic alcohol, which WishGarden says leaves about as much alcohol per serving as a ripe banana; you can dilute drops in a little water or juice.

Our pick: kids' immune season toolkit

WishGarden Herbs Kids Wellness Essentials Bundle

Four kid-sized WishGarden formulas in one bundle: daily elderberry syrup, plus Kick-It Immune, Kick-It Cough and Congestion Rescue for the days a bug gets through.

• Elderberry Syrup (4 oz) with elderberry, astragalus, orange peel and honey
• Kick-It Immune, Kick-It Cough and Congestion Rescue (2 oz pump bottles)
• Formulated for children, with weight-based dosing on each label
• Small-batch herbal formulas from Boulder, Colorado

Shop at WishGarden →

Affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Full disclosure.

🤒 When your child does get sick

• Rest and fluids come first: water, warm broth (try our bone broth), ice pops and plenty of downtime.
• A cool-mist humidifier and saline nose drops can ease a stuffy nose.
• Honey (age 1 and up) before bed for a nighttime cough.
• Never give aspirin to children or teenagers with a viral illness, because of the risk of Reye’s syndrome. Ask your pediatrician or pharmacist about the right fever reliever and dose.
• Keep them home while they have a fever, and until they have been fever-free for 24 hours without medicine, to protect classmates.

Call your pediatrician right away if your child

• Is under 3 months old and has any fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher
• Is breathing fast or with effort, or the skin between the ribs pulls in with each breath
• Shows signs of dehydration: few wet diapers, no tears, a very dry mouth
• Has a fever that lasts more than 3 days, or that goes away and comes back
• Is unusually sleepy, hard to wake, or seems very unwell to you

Trust your instincts. You know your child best, and it is always fine to call.

The honest bottom line

This time of year, the best immune support for kids is the unglamorous stuff: enough sleep, regular handwashing, good food, active play, a vitamin D check and an up-to-date flu vaccine. Herbal formulas made for children can be a gentle extra, especially for comfort when a cold arrives, but the research in kids is still limited, so use them alongside the basics, not instead of them, and with your pediatrician in the loop.

Frequently asked questions

At what age can kids take herbal immune formulas?

It depends on the product. Follow the weight or age chart on each label, and talk to your pediatrician before giving herbs to babies and toddlers. Any product containing honey must not be given to a child under 12 months.

Should kids take elderberry every day?

Some families use an elderberry syrup daily through the cold season, which is how WishGarden designs its kids’ syrup. There is little research on long-term daily use in children, so check with your pediatrician, and always use a commercial product: raw or unripe elderberries and other parts of the plant can cause nausea and vomiting.

Do kids need a multivitamin for immunity?

Most children who eat a varied diet do not need one. Vitamin D is the most common exception in the darker months. Picky eaters or kids on restricted diets may benefit from a supplement, so ask your pediatrician.

Studies and sources

• Paruthi S et al. (2016). Recommended amount of sleep for pediatric populations: a consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, via PubMed.
• Prather AA et al. (2015). Behaviorally assessed sleep and susceptibility to the common cold. Sleep, via PubMed.
• Aiello AE et al. (2008). Effect of hand hygiene on infectious disease risk in the community setting: a meta-analysis. American Journal of Public Health, via PubMed.
• Martineau AR et al. (2017). Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections: systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data. BMJ, via PubMed.
• Oduwole O et al. (2018). Honey for acute cough in children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, via PubMed.
• Hawkins J et al. (2019). Black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) supplementation effectively treats upper respiratory symptoms: a meta-analysis of randomized, controlled clinical trials. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, via PubMed.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Influenza (flu): prevention and vaccination. CDC.
• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. European elder (elderberry). NCCIH.
• WishGarden Herbs Kids Wellness Essentials Bundle product page. WishGarden Herbs.

This article is for general education and is not medical advice. Always talk to your child’s pediatrician before giving any supplement or herbal product, especially to babies and toddlers or children with a health condition or who take medication. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.