Preventing the Spread of "Back to School" Germs

As children are going back to school and excitedly embracing the friends they haven’t seen in a while, parents can help their kids avoid spreading their germs with others through these steps.

Students and their families should practice good hand hygiene.

“Parents can help to prevent their children from getting sick by educating them that they should wash their hands before touching their T zone – their eyes, nose and mouth,” explained Sunil Sood, MD, chairman of pediatrics at Southside Hospital in Bay Shore and an attending infectious disease physician at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park. “This would include washing their hands before entering class, after using the bathroom and after leaving class.”

Dr. Sood noted that there are websites and materials parents can use to educate their children about the T zone, such as Henry the Hand.

Another thing parents can do to keep their kids from spreading infectious diseases is to keep their children home from school if they have a fever, Dr. Sood said.

Additionally, Dr. Sood encourages parents to get all of their children over the age of six months an influenza vaccine.

“Flu shots are completely safe, other than the mild side-effects you can get from any vaccine – mostly local soreness, mild fever and mild body ache,” Dr. Sood said.

He described the flu as the only preventable respiratory virus and the flu shot goes a long way in limiting the spread of the virus.

For more information about prepping your kids to go back to school, click here.