The cold and flu season is upon us. I have seen many children in the clinic for stuffy noses, sneezing, sore throats, and headaches. I have also had several children go home due to vomiting. The most effective way to keep your child from getting sick with a cold or flu is to always practice good hand washing. Wet hands, apply soap, and rub hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds, making sure to clean all aspects of the hands (front, back, and wrists); rinse hands well, dry hands thoroughly with a paper towel, and then turn off the water with a dry paper towel. Also, teach your children to cover their sneezes properly. The video below is a fun way to teach your child the proper technique to cover their sneeze.
Please remember---don't send your child to school when they are sick to help keep our school healthy. If your child has a fever (over 99.5 with other symptoms), vomiting, or has diarrhea, they must be fever-free for 24 hours (without any medication) before returning to school and you must wait 24 hours after the last vomit or diarrhea episode before sending the child to school.
If you or your children have not gotten a flu shot, it is not too late! You can get a flu shot at your doctor's office or most pharmacies also give flu shots without a prescription (and most insurances cover the whole cost).
Please remember---don't send your child to school when they are sick to help keep our school healthy. If your child has a fever (over 99.5 with other symptoms), vomiting, or has diarrhea, they must be fever-free for 24 hours (without any medication) before returning to school and you must wait 24 hours after the last vomit or diarrhea episode before sending the child to school.
If you or your children have not gotten a flu shot, it is not too late! You can get a flu shot at your doctor's office or most pharmacies also give flu shots without a prescription (and most insurances cover the whole cost).