As the flu continues to spread rapidly, it is important that everyone takes the necessary precautions to stay healthy. There are many steps you can take to make sure that your children do not get the flu this year. CNN.com had many great tips to keeping your children healthy during this time of year.
- Vaccinate: It is never too late for your children to receive the flu vaccination. Even though the vaccine cannot fully guarantee your children will not get the flu, it still increases the chances of not contracting the illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the vaccine is about 62% effective. The vaccine can shorten the illness if they do get sick.
- Coughing etiquette and social distancing: Continuously tell your children to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue if they feel that they are going to sneeze or cough. After they are done coughing or sneezing, they should immediately throw away the contaminated tissue. Then they should make sure to sanitize their hands. The faster they do these measures, the fewer germs will spread. Also, if your children begin to show any cold-like/flu-like symptoms, keep them home from school if at all possible. CNN Money just discovered that one in three U.S workers has no paid sick days. This will make it extremely hard to contain the flu with many sick people going to work when they should stay home. Another great way to prevent children from getting sick and swapping germs is to suggest to the teacher to separate the desks from one another during this time of year so children are not too close to one another.
- Clean surfaces often: Sanitize all objects that are shared by the family such as door knobs, railings of the staircase, bathrooms, television remotes, telephones, toys, and chairs.
- Practice a healthy lifestyle: Make sure the whole family is getting plenty of sleep at night, consuming plenty of vitamin C and iron, eating fruits and vegetables, drinking plenty of water, and having at least one hour of physical activity during the week.
Has the flu bug hit your household this year? Please share your tips with us to prevent the spread of this nasty bug. Flu Activity Video:
