Fighting the Flu

Clean hands are the best defence!

Children touch many common surfaces and spend a lot of time in contact with the ground. Help them avoid illness by making hand washing a habit. Washing hands often is the single most effective way to stop the spread of contagious illnesses like the flu.

• Make sure kids wash their hands before: handling
• Make sure kids wash their hands after: playing with toys shared with other children, having contact with a person who has influenza, using the washroom, blowing their nose, coughing or sneezing, handling garbage and after visiting a public place.
• Wash your own hands before treating a child's wound or cut.

Proper hand washing -- there is a method

We all wash our hands every day, but did you know there is actually a proper hand washing method? Make sure you and your children follow these steps:

1. Remove all rings and wet hands with warm running water.
2. Put a small amount of liquid soap in the palm of one hand. Bar soaps are not as hygienic because they stay moist and attract germs.
3. Rub hands together for at least 15 seconds, bringing the soap to lather. Scrub between fingers, under fingernails and on the backs of hands.
4. Rinse hands well with running water for at least 10 seconds. Use a paper towel to turn faucets off.
5. Dry hands with a clean or disposable towel.

Other ways to fight the flu

• Get the annual flu shot. Vaccination between October and December is the most effective way to prevent the flu.
• Keep kids at home and away from crowds when they're sick.
• Keep common surfaces clean, and do not share personal items or drinks with a person who has the flu.