HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Article from BPT Website
Preparing for a Healthy
Return to School
(BPT) - As summer draws to a close and fall approaches, the rush of back-to-school preparations for kids begins. Parents may have questions about the upcoming cold and flu season and the best way to keep kids healthy in the classroom. The good news is that vaccinations are available now and are by far the most effective way to help protect children from respiratory diseases, like flu. Flu vaccines are recommended for everyone 6 months and older, and getting your child a flu vaccine can go a long way toward creating healthier classrooms and communities. In fall, a new COVID-19 vaccine will also be available to help protect your child.
It's important to remember last fall and winter we saw a co-circulation of flu, COVID-19, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), and other viral and bacterial respiratory diseases. Schools faced high absenteeism, and many kids were
hospitalized. Although flu vaccines don't always prevent flu illness, they reduce the wildest symptoms, decreasing missed school, work and other important activities.
Sadly, disappointing flu vaccination rates help feed the spread of illness. Flu vaccination among kids is down by about 5 percentage points since the COVID-19 pandemic. It's important to reverse that trend to keep our kids and classrooms healthy this winter.
Fight influenza with a flu vaccine
A flu shot is recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older. Among the many benefits, flu shots reduce the risk of flu illness and hospitalization, but if you still get sick, a flu vaccine can reduce the wildest flu symptoms, making the illness milder and shorter. Flu can be very serious for