If you’re sending your child to a child care center, preschool, or other program, you may be nervous about what to do now that swine flu is in our midst. And that’s not unwarranted, since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has designated children younger than 5 years a high-risk group for complications when it comes to this virus. (Infants younger than 6 months old are at the highest risk because they are too young to receive the seasonal or swine flu vaccine.) In fact, children 6 months and older are on the CDC’s list of those who should get vaccinated first.

As of now, authorities expect that children will require two doses of the swine flu vaccine, because their bodies have less experience developing immunity. But other common-sense measures can help prevent the spread of the virus. As we’ve mentioned in previous reports, while the CDC is still determining how severe the swine flu will be this year, they’re also publicizing preventive measures schools and child-care centers can take to offset its impact.

Here are some things parents can ask their caregivers, to be proactive about staying healthy.

According to swine flu advice from the CDC, any child care center or preschool should:

• Make sure all caregivers have received the seasonal flu vaccine, and the swine flu vaccine when it becomes available. This applies to anyone who lives with or baby sits a young child.
• Make contingency plans to cover for staff who become ill.
• Update staff sick policies so they can stay home if they or a family member are sick. (A doctor’s note to validate illness should not be required.)
• Update contact information for families and staff in case of an emergency.
• Frequently remind children, families, and staff about the importance of staying home when ill.
• Strengthen the school or center’s sick policy to require parents to keep at home any child who has the symptoms of swine flu, including fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue, and sometimes diarrhea or vomiting. Children and teachers should remain at home and away from others until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or greater (without the help of fever-reducing medication). Early childhood programs may want to require longer periods of exclusion before returning to the classroom.
• Separate ill children and staff from others if they develop symptoms while at the program, and until they can be sent home.
• Enlist the help of a qualified early-childhood health consultant—a licensed health professional, such as a nurse—experienced with health issues in out-of-home care.
• Conduct daily health checks, which includes observing all children and staff, and talking with each child’s parent or guardian and the child soon after arriving at the program. Caregivers should look for changes in the child’s behavior, and any signs or symptoms of illness, throughout the day.
• Provide adequate time for children and staff to wash their hands with soap and water (alcohol-based sanitizer is a second choice—but not if hands are visibly soiled), and parents and early childhood providers should wash the hands of children who cannot yet wash themselves. Soap, water, and paper towels should be readily available.
• Teach children to keep their hands away from their eyes, nose, and mouth, and cover noses and mouth with tissue when coughing or sneezing.
• Routinely clean facilities, particularly items and areas that are likely to have contact with young children’s hands and mouths, such as toys and play areas.
• If flu severity increases, avoid bringing groups of children from different classes together. Utilize larger play spaces to allow space between children, and conduct activities outdoors when possible.
• Encourage families to seek medical treatment for flu-like symptoms early on to potentially decrease the severity of the illness.
• In partnership with public health officials, consider closing the facility if flu transmission is high to help decrease the spread of flu among children, balancing the risk of exposure with the social and economic disruption of closing.

What parents can do:
 
• Have your children age 6 months and older vaccinated to protect against seasonal influenza and swine flu.
• If your child who is younger than 5 develops flu-like illness, call your healthcare provider as soon as possible to determine if they need antiviral treatment.
• Check in regularly with the child care center to find out if other kids in your child’s class are sick (and check the CDC Web site, too, for ongoing updates as they become available).
• Keep children home if anyone in the household has flu-like symptoms to reduce transmission to others outside the home.
• Review basic hand-washing tips yourself, and with young children.
• Look to their early childhood providers and state and local health officials for information and guidance on swine flu in their specific location.
• On weekends and days off from school, consider activities that do not involve large crowds, such as home activities or walks, to reduce potential exposure to infected individuals.