Whether your children are preparing for their first day back to school or are going back to campus for another semester, avoiding germs should be on the top of their minds. Classrooms and campuses are hotspots for germ that can make your child, and you, sick. It’s important to remind kids of healthy habits to follow in order to avoid spreading bacteria. These tips will help them avoid back to school germs and have a healthy school year.
1. Good Hand Hygiene
Practicing good hand washing is the best way to keep germs at bay. Washing your hands after using the bathroom, blowing your nose, handling trash, touching animals, and prior to touching food will help eliminate germs. Wash hands with warm water and scrub with soap for at least 20 seconds to thoroughly remove bacteria or use alcohol based sanitizers. Teach children to cough or sneeze into their elbows to prevent airborne bacteria from spreading to others. For college students, send them back to campus with disinfecting wipes to clean communal bathroom surfaces, such as sinks, before use.
2. Keep Your Immune System in Shape
Your immune system is your main defense against germs, but are you sabotaging your health? Poor diet and sleeping habits weaken your immune system and lowers your resistance to illnesses. Eating fruits and vegetables can prevent health problems and drinking water prevents dehydration and helps flush out the body. Sleep is also crucial in maintaining your child’s health and is the body’s time to repair and rejuvenate itself. Make sure your child gets routine physical exercise, eats a balanced diet, and maintains a healthy sleep schedule. College students should avoid fast food options as a regular meal and pulling all night study sessions, which leaves them at a greater risk for getting sick.
3. Stay Up-to-Date on Vaccinations
Routine checkups are important to ensure your child gets all the necessary vaccinations they need to prevent illness before they catch a cold. The flu is the most common shot children should receive annually. It is especially important for students with asthma to get the flu shot as they are at a greater risk of developing upper respiratory infections that can affect the lungs. For a list of what vaccinations to get and when to get them, talk to your care team at your next clinic visit. Students entering high school and college freshmen living in dormitories also need the meningococcal vaccine (required by some colleges).
For more information on the vaccines recommended for your child, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/index.html.
Send your children back to school ready. For more ways to protect the health of you and your loved ones, call 724-929-2300 today. Our agents can get you a health insurance policy that fits your specific needs at the best price possible! Don’t pay for one size fits most policies that don’t have your family in mind. Just call us and we’ll do the comparing for you!