The cold & flu season is on it’s way. As the days grow shorter and the holidays approach, we spend more time inside close to our friends and family. It’s this close proximity to each other that increases our chances of catching colds & flus from one another. Your best defense is to vaccinate and remember to wash yours and your child’s hands often. Learn more about the flu here.
The CDC recommends the flu vaccine for everyone 6 months & older. So do we.
The Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone 6 months of age and older, as the first and most important step in protecting against this serious disease. This is especially important for children, because they are at increased risk of getting severe illness from flu. (Children younger than 6 months are too young to get vaccinated.)
Children younger than 9 years getting a flu vaccine for the first time need two doses of vaccine in the first year.
Some children 6 months through 8 years of age require two doses of influenza vaccine. Children in this age group who are getting vaccinated for the first time, as well as some who have been vaccinated previously, will need two doses. Your child’s health care provider can tell you whether two doses are recommended for your child.
Everyday practices can help prevent spreading colds & flus
Protect yourself and your infant by following these steps routinely:
- Keep yourself and your baby away from people who are sick, as much as you can.
- If you get the flu, stay home from work or school. If you are sick, do not go near other people, so that you don’t make them sick too.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze—throw the tissue away after you use it. If you can’t get a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow instead of you hands.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. If you are not near water, use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
- Try not to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs often spread this way.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, especially when someone is ill.
At Halsey Schools we follow a strict illness policy to help keep your child from getting ill too often.
If a child has the flu, he or she must stay for a minimum of 24 hours or longer until flu symptoms are gone. Additionally, Halsey Schools reserves the right to exclude a child from school at anytime for any reason, even if a doctor or other recommends otherwise. If your child visits a doctor, please ask for a return authorization note. Even with a note Halsey Schools reserves the right to refuse attendance at anytime for any reason. For more information read our Illness Policy here.
Only when we work together can we help keep colds and flus at bay.
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