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Summer Begins -- Swine Flu Ends?
Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, so does that mean the official end of swine flu?
Attention to swine flu has waned, but swine flu hasn't. It looks like swine flu is here to stay -- for how long we don't know. While flu is unusual in the warm, summer months, swine flu is still swirling around. CDC officials say the entire U.S. is likely affected, and they continue to see more people with swine flu. Officials aren't sure what will happen when the fall flu season arrives.
So as school comes to a close, is the threat of swine flu going to affect your summer plans? Should you be concerned about exposing your child to a crowded group of kids at summer camp?
The CDC says there is no reason to keep your kid out of school unless he/she is sick. The same holds true for summer camp or any other summer activity.
Yes, the risk of swine flu is out there. But thankfully, very few people are developing serious illness. It appears we have no more reason to be concerned than during the normal flu season.
While you don't need to let swine flu get in the way of a fun summer for you and your family, hopefully the attention that swine flu has received will help all of us remember how to stop the flu. And no time like the present to teach your kids a few simple tricks.
Lead by example. It's tough to get kids to wash their hands -- much less for the recommended 20 seconds (a good rule of thumb is to sing Happy Birthday twice). Most of us aren't so good at that either.
Your kids have likely heard about swine flu, so take the time to explain to your kids why frequent hand washing is so important. It'll go a long way to not only preventing the very contagious swine flu but also other respiratory viruses, such as colds, and even stomach bugs.
And come fall, most of us have no reason not to get the flu vaccine. The CDC has found that people born before 1957 may have a bit more immunity to the swine flu virus than younger people. This is likely due to their exposure to previous flu viruses and possibly having received flu vaccines in past years.
Are you going on about your normal business or has swine flu caused you to change your summer plans?
Attention to swine flu has waned, but swine flu hasn't. It looks like swine flu is here to stay -- for how long we don't know. While flu is unusual in the warm, summer months, swine flu is still swirling around. CDC officials say the entire U.S. is likely affected, and they continue to see more people with swine flu. Officials aren't sure what will happen when the fall flu season arrives.
So as school comes to a close, is the threat of swine flu going to affect your summer plans? Should you be concerned about exposing your child to a crowded group of kids at summer camp?
The CDC says there is no reason to keep your kid out of school unless he/she is sick. The same holds true for summer camp or any other summer activity.
Yes, the risk of swine flu is out there. But thankfully, very few people are developing serious illness. It appears we have no more reason to be concerned than during the normal flu season.
While you don't need to let swine flu get in the way of a fun summer for you and your family, hopefully the attention that swine flu has received will help all of us remember how to stop the flu. And no time like the present to teach your kids a few simple tricks.
Lead by example. It's tough to get kids to wash their hands -- much less for the recommended 20 seconds (a good rule of thumb is to sing Happy Birthday twice). Most of us aren't so good at that either.
Your kids have likely heard about swine flu, so take the time to explain to your kids why frequent hand washing is so important. It'll go a long way to not only preventing the very contagious swine flu but also other respiratory viruses, such as colds, and even stomach bugs.
And come fall, most of us have no reason not to get the flu vaccine. The CDC has found that people born before 1957 may have a bit more immunity to the swine flu virus than younger people. This is likely due to their exposure to previous flu viruses and possibly having received flu vaccines in past years.
Are you going on about your normal business or has swine flu caused you to change your summer plans?
6 Comments:
we are avoiding crowds. No summer camps for our son. It is going to be hard but we don't feel comfortable exposing our teen son to such dangerous flu.
We feel that the community should be more responsible by avoiding passing the flu and making it worst for those who are more susceptible.
you ppl are making a big deal out of this stupid thing it kills less ppl than any other flu strain stop being panzies
I want to know once you get swine flu,, if you get it,, are you immune to it at that point or can you get it again? I am sure it's just like the regular flu and you wont be immune to it, but just curious?
Aimee
"you ppl are making a big deal out of this stupid thing it kills less ppl than any other flu strain stop being panzies"
If you had a child, (which I doubt you are old enough to care for a child based off of your grammar) you would be careful not to expose them to large crowds where a flu virus can spread very easily. It's not about being a "panzie" but more about being responsible.
The last time this flu was going to be an epidemic was when Regan was in office and it never materialized....The only ones benefiting from this are the pharmecutical companies.....of which I might add there's more of a threat of getting ill/dying from getting the shot from the reaction than getting the flu!
The swine flu is not a big deal... my son and daughter had the swine flu and they are fine. I do not believe that you need to shield your children from the public in any sort of way. The swine flu is just like the regular flu except the fact that it has spread from pig to people. This flu is just as dangerous as the regular flu. So i suggest you allow your children into the public, it is okay. My children have made a full recovery and it only lasted about 4 days- a week
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