The ABC’s of Flu Prevention

The holidays are here, but so is cold and flu session.  As parents, we want our kids to be happy and healthy, which means taking extra precautions this time of the year.  With the change in the season comes the inevitable onset of runny noses, sore throats, muffled coughs, and the dreaded flu.  In fact, last year’s flu season in the U.S. caused the highest recorded rates of pneumonia and influenza diagnoses in nearly a decade.  With developing immune systems, children are two to three times more likely to catch the flu than adults.

To help us prevent the flu, parenting author Elizabeth Pantley has developed “A Parent’s Guide to Flu Season,” a short, downloadable booklet of information about the flu and tips for parents on protecting their families from the flu.  Elizabeth has come up with the ABCs of flu prevention – (A) Annual Vaccine, (B) Be Healthy Handed, (C) Capture the Germs.

Some of my favorite tips include the following:

– Get an annual flu vaccine.  Another good way to look at immunization is like protecting our children with child-proof latches, bike helmets, and car seats.  The vaccine has antibodies that will help protect our children if the actual disease germs enter the body. The baby vaccines in Mountbatten include MMR.

– Wash hands the right way.  To remove germs, you need to add soap and scrub your hands for about 20 seconds, which is basically long enough to sing the Happy Birthday song twice.

– Capture the germs.  Use a tissue to catch your cough or sneeze.  Throw it away immediately.  Wash your hands.

– Clean and disinfect your home.  Cleaning removes germs and dirt with soap or detergent.  It doesn’t really kill germs, but by removing the germs does reduce the risk of spreading infection.  Disinfecting does however kill germs by using chemicals designed for the job.  By killing the germs, it can further lower the risk of spreading infection.