I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for MedImmune Specialty Care. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.
This is the time of year I always dread, as a mom and a nurse. It is with the cooler weather that cold and flu season appears. This is something that I struggle to avoid hitting my home each year in a number of ways. With Jemma’s health condition, my own asthma, and just the general hope for a healthy family, I find it very important to educate my kids and do all I can to keep the flu out of my home.
One thing I teach the kids from a very early age is the importance of hand-washing. I had a presentation I did with all of the elementary school kids in my nursing position last year. Hand-washing is the single-most important thing you can do to stop the spread of illness. I also teach my kids the proper way to sneeze and cough (into the elbow) and how to use hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available. Finally, taking daily supplements is important to keeping your body healthy and ready to fight off illness.
But, there is more! Every member of my family gets a flu shot each year. In fact, just today Jemma had to get her booster flu shot. She only was able to get one last year before she fell ill with RSV and spent a month in the hospital due to other complications. I think the flu shot is a necessary preventative measure to ensure the flu stays out of our lives. I have never had a bad case of the flu after receiving it and neither has anyone in my family. My older kids now get the Flumist (the live vaccine nasal spray) but everyone else gets the shot.
You can find out some more great information in Elizabeth Pantley’s ebooklet, “A Parent’s Guide to Flu Season”. Also check out the infographic below for some great tips and tricks to keep you and your family healthy this cold and flu season.
What do you do to stay healthy during the cold and flu season? Do you have any other tips and tricks to stay healthy?
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