Five Ways Parents Can Help Prevent Their Child from Catching the Flu

January and February being the coldest months in the year, also tend to see the highest rate in illnesses such as the common cold and flu making the rounds.

It is no surprise that the term ‘flu’ had a search volume of 1.6 million people over the past month in the UK looking up on Google the different types of flu’s and the symptoms they can expect to experience if they have it.

According to the recent Google Trends report, they highlighted how the USA is also experiencing a surge of interest in particular illness outbreaks, with the search term ‘tuberculosis’ being the top trending search result in the US. Interest in searching for ‘tuberculosis vaccine’ increased by over 2,950% over the past week.

Nurseries and schools are especially aware of the many different illnesses they can catch, the rate of flu cases amongst school children aged 5 to 14 years is higher than any other age group according to gov.UK. The amount of weekly flu cases amongst this age group is on average 5.7% compared with a whole population weekly average rate of 2.5%.

That’s why Michele Davison, owner and manager of Angels on The Park nursery based in Hackney, London is sharing her top five tips to parents and educators on how they can help to minimise the potential of their child catching the flu.

With over 20 years of experience in working in the Early Years sector, Michele highlights the importance of having high hygiene standards in all education settings.

Get the Flu Vaccine
Michele advises: “The flu vaccine is one of the best ways to protect children from serious illnesses. It helps build immunity and reduces the severity of symptoms if they do catch the flu. The NHS and many pharmacies offer free flu vaccinations for eligible children.”

Teach Good Hygiene
She said: “First step in trying to minimise children catching the flu is to teach them the simple way of respiratory hygiene. This is showing younger children how to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue or their elbow when they cough or sneeze. Also, making sure used tissues are disposed of immediately, and hands should be washed right after. By getting children to do this as a routine whenever they cough and sneeze, will help them to then turn it into a regular habit.”

Encourage Regular Hand Washing
Michele said: “It’s so important for parents and teachers in education settings to encourage attention to hygiene amongst the children. Teaching children to wash their hands properly with soap and warm water, especially before eating and after coughing or sneezing, can significantly reduce the spread of flu germs. Having hand sanitiser around as an additional method of hygiene is good for children to use after they’ve played with their toys and before they eat.”

Boost Their Immune System
She said: “Having a strong immune system can help children fight off infections. One key thing we try to encourage parents to do is make sure their child eats a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and proteins, stays hydrated, and gets enough sleep each night to be able to fight off any nasty germs. It’s important for education settings, such as nurseries, to provide a nutritious menu for young children so they can support the children in having a healthy diet.”

Keep Sick Children at Home
Michele adds: “If your child has flu-like symptoms, it’s best to keep them home from school or nursery to prevent spreading the virus to others. Resting at home also allows their body to recover more quickly.”