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"Bee The Best You Can Bee" Commonly Asked Questions |
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It's Flu Season! Here is some information regarding Common
Questions:
Information for Parents about Influenza and Child Care Is influenza still a concern in
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What can I do to keep my child from getting sick?«
Get your child vaccinated (the
flu shot or nasal spray). Vaccination is the best way to keep your
child from getting the flu. This year’s vaccine protects against both
the pandemic H1N1 influenza and two other kinds of flu. Your child needs
to be vaccinated this year, even if vaccinated last year. «
Teach your children to
wash their hands often. Washing
with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds is ideal (about as long
as it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice). «
When soap and running
water are not available to clean hands, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Young children should be supervised when using alcohol-based hand
sanitizer. Also, store hand sanitizer out of children’s reach. The
alcohol it contains may be dangerous if swallowed. « Teach your children to cough or sneeze into their elbow—not their hands! Cover coughs and sneezes with tissues or by coughing into the inside of their elbow. They should wash their hands after blowing their nose or coughing into a tissue. «
Teach your children to avoid
touching their nose, mouth or eyes. They
should keep their hands away from their face. Is flu vaccine safe?Yes. Flu vaccines are among the safest medications that are administered to people, including prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications. Like any vaccine or medication, flu vaccine should be administered by trained health professionals who will determine which vaccine is best for you and your child. What should I do if my child is sick?«
Keep your child home. It
is very important that your child does not go to child care or other
places where they could spread the flu to other people. «
Call your doctor’s office
and let them know your child’s symptoms. Your doctor will advise you
whether you should come to the office. It is best to call the office first
to avoid spreading flu to others at the doctor’s office. «
Call your child care program
to notify them that your child is sick, and tell them if your child has
flu-like symptoms, such as fever, cough and/or sore throat. Keep them
updated on your child’s medical condition. «
Do not give your child or
teenager (18 years of age or younger) aspirin or aspirin-containing
products due to the rare, but serious, illness called Reye syndrome. How long should I keep my child at home?«
All individuals with flu
symptoms should stay home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have
a fever, without using fever-reducing medicines. These
medicines include Motrin or Advil (ibuprofen), Tylenol (acetaminophen) or
a store brand. For most children, this will be about 4 days. Use the Flu
Symptom Checklist for Families and Childcare as a guide. Child care
centers can not accept a doctor’s note recommending a child with
flu-like symptoms return to the program before the time period described
above. Is it safe (as far as flu is concerned) for my child to participate in other activities?Just like going to child
care, children should continue to participate in other activities as long
as they are not sick and do not have flu symptoms. Will my child’s child care center be closed if there is a case of flu?Child care programs and
public health officials will be focused on preventing the spread of flu so
that facilities can stay open. They will closely follow the situation and
will inform you in the unlikely event that your child’s center is
closed. However, it is important to plan ahead. Talk to your family now to
decide who would care for your child if the center is closed. When a child
care center is closed, it is important that children not gather together
at another place. They should stay home to avoid spreading the flu to
other people. What precautions are being taken at child care centers?«
Staff will teach children
about hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes. «
Staff will also stay home
when sick with flu symptoms, cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze,
and wash their hands often. «
Centers will keep track of
children who are sick with flu-like symptoms, so they can quickly identify
flu in the center. «
Centers will be cleaned
regularly, especially where germs can spread, such as water fountains. «
Staff will work closely with
local and state public health authorities. Where can I get more information?«
Call your doctor, nurse or
clinic, or your local board of health «
Massachusetts Department of
Public Health website at www.mass.gov/flu « Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at: www.cdc.gov/flu «
For flu
clinic information, visit the MassPRO Public Flu Clinic Finder website at:
http://flu.masspro.org/ or call (617) 983-6800. Flu Symptom Checklist The main symptoms of influenza (flu) include fever and cough and/or sore throat. Some people also have a runny nose, body aches, headache, chills and feel tired. Some people also have diarrhea and vomiting. The most important thing that you can do to keep flu from spreading in the community is to keep your sick child at home when they are sick. SHOULD I KEEP MY CHILD HOME?
If
you answered YES to both questions above, keep your child
home. Your
child has an influenza-like illness. CAN MY CHILD RETURN TO CHILD CARE?
If
you answered NO to both questions above, your child can
return to child care. If you answered YES to either one of the questions above, your child CANNOT return to child care. Keep your child home for at least another day to observe for additional symptoms. Then use the check list questions again to decide whether you should continue to keep your child home. |
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