Should I keep my child home or send him or her to school?
Keep your child home if he or she:
- Has a fever of 100 degrees or higher. Keep your child home until his or her fever has been gone for 24 hours without medication (Acetaminophen/Tylenol or Ibuprofen/Advil/Motrin).
- Has been vomiting 24 hours without vomiting.
- Has symptoms that prevent him or her from participating in school, such as: - Excessive tiredness or lack of appetite - Productive coughing, sneezing - Headache, body aches, earache - Sore throat
*A minor sore throat is usually not a problem, but a severe sore throat could be strep throat even if there is no fever. Other symptoms of strep throat in children are headache and stomach upset. Contact your pediatrician as your child needs a special test to determine if it is strep throat.
Does my child have the flu?
- The flu is serious! Call your pediatrician at the first sign of flu symptoms that come on suddenly, including:
- High fever
- Chills
- Head ache, body aches, ear ache
- Nausea, vomiting
- Dry cough If you’re unsure about the best way to treat your child’s cold or flu, ask your school nurse, doctor, pharmacist, or other healthcare provider.
- Protect your child by getting an annual flu shot.
How do I make my child feel better?
- Make sure your child gets plenty of rest and put limits on TV watching
- Encourage fluids; like water, soup, juice and ice
- Help your child relax by reading him a story and giving him plenty of TLC • Consider using a cool humidifier
- When used as directed, children’s cough and cold medicines help relieve cough and cold symptoms while your child is getting better. Read and follow the directions carefully and give the exact recommended dose for the child’s age.
How can I prevent my child from getting a cold?
- Teach your child to wash his or her hands frequently using plenty of soap and warm water. Proper hand-washing should take about 20 seconds or the time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice.
- Teach your child to cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or their sleeve.
GO to school
- sniffles or mild congestion
- mild runny nose with minimal drainage
- mild cough without a fever
- vague complaints of aches, pains, stomachache or fatigue without a fever
Let’s work together on keeping our children healthy and safe!