Protect Your Kid from Swine Flu
Here's the latest info on what every parent should know to keep kids safe, plus learn how to protect yourself during flu season.
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Photo by: Cliff Parnell |
It's the topic on every parent's mind: H1N1 swine flu. On October 23, President Obama declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency, giving hospitals and local governments more power to act quickly if needed. But what can your family do? To find out, GH spoke to leading experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Get Your Child Vaccinated ASAP
"It's the most important thing parents can do," says Georgina Peacock, M.D., pediatrician and co-lead of the CDC's H1N1 children's health team. Peacock also is the mother of four children — all of whom have gotten this season's vaccines.
Young people ages 6 months to 24 years are a priority group for the H1N1 vaccine, since the virus can spread quickly through schools and day-care centers.
To find vaccinations near you, contact your local health department or use this Flu Shot Locator.
Remember Both Vaccines
There are two separate vaccines: the H1N1 swine flu vaccine and the seasonal flu vaccine. Children should get both as soon as possible. Both are available as a nasal spray (for healthy people ages 2 to 49) and as a shot (for ages 6 months and up). Some local health departments, pharmacies, and schools are organizing vaccination clinics, so stay tuned in — and sign up right away. "The H1N1 vaccine is being produced and shipped out as fast as possible, and eventually there will be enough for everybody," says Dr. Peacock.
If you're concerned about the safety of the H1N1 vaccine, remember that it's made just the way a seasonal flu shot is. Your child can expect a little soreness and swelling where the shot was given, but those are the most common side effects. Learn more by visiting the CDC's Vaccine Safety page.
Cover the Basics
Make sure you and your kids follow these hygiene rules:
- Wash your hands often with soap and running water, especially after coming in from the outside, before eating and fixing food, and after using the bathroom. And take your time. Each wash should last about 30 seconds. With young children, a good trick to be sure they wash long enough is to sing the ABC song or Happy Birthday twice. If you're not near a faucet, rub hands with an alcohol-based sanitizer.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. No tissue at hand? Cough or sneeze into your sleeve.
- Teach kids to keep their hands out of their eyes, nose, and mouth. You too.
Know the Symptoms — and Tell Your Kids
Sit down and have a calm conversation about H1N1 symptoms and how the virus spreads. Explain that primary symptoms include fever, sore throat, and cough. Some people also have a runny or stuffy nose, fatigue, body aches, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Swine flu spreads through contact with infected people, especially those who are coughing or sneezing. Flu can also live on countertops, computer keyboards, and other surfaces for two to eight hours. That's why hand-washing is so important.
Do Not Send a Sick Kid to School
Call your doctor immediately, and then keep your child home until at least 24 hours after he or she no longer has a fever (100° F) without fever-reducing medication, like Tylenol. Try to set your child up in a separate room in the house, away from healthy siblings who could potentially get sick. Also, as you'd do on regular sick days, make sure your child gets plenty of rest and clear fluids.
Keep Your Cool
Some children have gotten extremely sick from H1N1, but most have what's considered a mild form of the illness and recover without any problem. So stay calm, and click over to the CDC for up-to-date information.
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