PORTLAND, Ore. — Kaiser Permanente is warning parents and teachers to prepare for for an especially intense cold and flu season , particularly for young children who are entering kindergarten or preschool. This year's youngest students have an additional hurtle because they were born during the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Due to the widespread use of safety measures like masking and social distancing, the so-called "pandemic babies" were exposed to fewer of the common pathogens than most babies encounter in their first couple years, explained Dr. Lisa Denike, a pediatrician at Kaiser — so in essence, they're now catching the colds and other respiratory viruses that they may have skipped.

"It's really important just to understand that your children and those age groups are pro

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