Happy Fall!  It’s hard to believe we are already through the first 9 weeks of school.  With the holiday season upon us it’s important to stay healthy so let’s fight the flu together!

Your decision to get the flu shot or not goes well beyond you.  It also affects the many lives you touch…

Influenza is a contagious disease of the respiratory tract (nose, throat, and lungs) that can lead to serious complications, including pneumonia and the worsening of other chronic health conditions. Flu symptoms may include fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and muscle aches.  The best way to protect your family from new influenza strains is to get vaccinated each year.

 The top five most virus-contaminated areas in the home are:

1. Telephones (have you cleaned your cell phone lately)
2. Appliances such as the refrigerator and microwave
3. Faucets
4. Light switch and door handles
5. TV remotes

Follow good health guidelines: eat right, exercise, and get plenty of rest to help boost your immunity to fight the effects of colds and flu. Wash hands frequently, do the elbow cough, and disinfect hot spots at school, work, and home.

Sometimes children will get sick anyway.  The BEST thing you can do is to keep children home when they are sick.  This will help stop the spread of illness to other children and teachers.  Children need to be kept home when they have any of these symptoms:

• Fever of 100 degrees or higher.
• Children should stay home until they have been without fever for at least 24 hours.  Children should not be given Tylenol or Advil (ibuprofen) to reduce the fever and then sent to school.  The child may be highly contagious to others.
• Nausea or vomiting within the last 24 hours.
• Severe headache
• Diarrhea within the last 24 hours.
• Red, watery eyes with yellow drainage
• Unexplained rash

I hope you and your family enjoy a healthy holiday season!

Melissa Johnson, RN BSN