One of the best ways to not get sick this year is, of course, to not be around others who are sick. But with work and school in full swing, in addition to holiday get-togethers, that can be a little challenging. Here are some of the next-best things you can do to stay healthy as we head into the holidays.

Wash Your Hands

You’ve heard it said again and again: Wash your hands. We touch a lot of things during the day, and kids definitely touch a lot of things that other kids have touched. Getting everyone in the habit of washing your hands for 20 seconds before and after meals, after blowing your nose, and before you touch your face will go a long way in helping to keep colds and flus at bay.

To help kids remember to wash up, make it fun for them. Try colored hand soap that they have to scrub off (or this Mickey Mouse soap dispenser, which is super cute), get them a stool to better reach the sink, and even give them stickers for remembering to wash before meals.

Use Hand Sanitizer

There are some times when washing your hands just isn’t feasible, namely when you’re out and about. Keep alcohol-based hand sanitizer in the car, diaper bag, and your purse to help your family stay healthy. For school-aged kids, put a small bottle of sanitizer in their backpack. You can also stash some antibacterial disinfectant wipes in the glove box of your car. That way, when you’re running from school to practice to home, everyone will have a way to get rid of dirt and grime on the go.

Don’t Touch Your Face (Unless You’re Covering a Sneeze or Cough)

Kids are notorious for touching their faces—a lot. Starting them early with a habit of not touching their faces can be hard, but gentle reminders are definitely helpful. Also, be sure that you’re aware of touching your own face, as you’re the best role model for good behavior.

Of course, you do want the kids (and grown-ups) to cover their mouths when they sneeze and cough. Keep tissues with you all the time so they can blow their nose or catch those coughs and sneezes. Then, make sure to wash hands after touching your face or blowing your nose. This is another instance where hand sanitizer is very helpful, since we’re not always near a water source after sneezing.

Keep It Clean: Disinfect High-touch Areas

High-touch areas can hold on to germs, and since everyone—healthy and sick alike—touches them, they should be cleaned regularly. These areas include, at a minimum, doorknobs, faucets, and toys. If your children use your mobile devices or hold on to your keys, add those to the mix as well.

Wiping down frequently touched items with soap and water at least once a week and spraying them with an antimicrobial disinfectant spray in between can help keep pesky germs to a minimum. You can skip the chemicals and use one of these natural disinfectants that you probably have in your house already. They’ll work just as well with no worry about harming kids and pets.

Update Your Vaccines

One of the very best ways to stay healthy during cold and flu season is by keeping your vaccinations up to date. These include the standard childhood vaccines, as well as an annual flu shot and the COVID-19 shot. The CDC has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children as young as five, and infants from six months are eligible for the flu shot. If you haven’t yet updated your children’s vaccines, call our office to schedule your appointment.

By implementing these precautions, you’ll be helping your family stay healthy this winter and be ready to welcome family and friends for the holidays.

The post How to Stay Healthy through Cold and Flu Season appeared first on Community Choice Pediatrics.

Last flu season, cases were minimal if not nonexistent. That’s due, in large part, to mask wearing and social distancing, as well as stay-at-home mandates across the country. But with kids back in school and parents back in the office, we may be looking at a huge issue with the flu this year. Experts predict up to 400,000 more hospitalizations due to flu this year than in previous seasons.

What can you do to keep yourself safe?

What is the Flu?

Not to be confused with a common cold, the flu often comes on more quickly and can last longer. It can also result in hospitalization and, in some instances, death. Common symptoms associated with flu may include:

• Fever
• Chills
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle and body aches
• Headaches
• Extreme tiredness
• Vomiting and/or diarrhea

The flu is a respiratory illness that spreads through saliva, usually from coughing or sneezing. It is most contagious within the first 3–4 days of becoming sick, and sometimes one day before symptoms occur and up to a week after getting sick—and some people may be contagious even longer.

How to Prevent Flu

As we’ve learned in the last couple of years, to prevent easily transmissible illnesses, it’s important to:

• Cover your coughs and sneezes.
• Wash your hands frequently, especially after blowing your nose.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay home when you’re sick to avoid giving what you have to anyone else.

Unfortunately, being healthy is not adequate to prevent flu since everyone is susceptible. Following good hygiene, however, is a start.

The best way to prevent flu is by getting the flu vaccine each year. Approved for those six months of age and older, the vaccine is updated annually to protect people from the most common strains expected that year.

It is predicted that 2021–2022 will be a dangerous flu season with estimates that there could be 20% more cases than in a typical season. Children younger than the age of two may be particularly at risk since they have not been previously exposed to the virus.

The incidence of severe complications and hospitalizations from flu symptoms can be greatly decreased if people choose to get immunized. In a typical year, approximately 50% of Americans receive the vaccine, and even a 10% increase in that number could result in a 6–46% decrease in cases, depending on the severity and transmissibility of this year’s strains.

Who’s Eligible for the Flu Vaccine?

Everyone who is six months of age and older can benefit from the flu vaccine. Children younger than six months are just as susceptible, so siblings and adults who interact with them should be vaccinated, including caregivers. Those at higher risk from suffering severe complications from the flu include young children; people with immune deficiencies, heart disease, and diabetes; pregnant women; and those 65 years of age and older.

If you are an existing patient of Community Choice Pediatrics, we encourage you to call our office to schedule your annual flu shot. Ideally, you should have this completed by the end of October. Not a current patient? Let’s rectify that and schedule your first appointment!

Be sure to watch our Facebook page to see our flu clinic times should your children contract the flu and need to be seen by one of our doctors.

The post Tips to Prevent Flu appeared first on Community Choice Pediatrics.