Editorial - Oct. 23, 2012: Keep sick kids home » Opinion

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October 23, 2012

Editorial - Oct. 23, 2012: Keep sick kids home

Anonymous The Kokomo Tribune Tue Oct 23, 2012, 12:55 AM EDT

Kokomo — The issue: Work and school during flu season.

Our view: If a family member falls ill with flu-like symptoms, keep him or her at home for at least 24 hours after a fever is gone. No athletic event is too important. No job is so imperative.

Throughout the flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “FluView” reports weekly findings of influenza indicators across the U.S.

The week ending Oct. 13, the CDC found flu activity remained low nationally. According to the CDC:

• Visits to doctors for flu-like illness remained below the national baseline in all 10 U.S. regions.

• Only Iowa reported local flu activity. Sporadic flu activity was reported by 32 states. But no flu activity was reported in 16 states, including Indiana.

• The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza was at the epidemic threshold of 6.3 percent for the week.

• One flu-associated pediatric death was reported.

Because flu activity is low right now, particularly in Indiana, this is the perfect time to get vaccinated, the CDC says. In fact, Gov. Mitch Daniels is scheduled to get a flu shot at 10 a.m. today, according to spokesperson Alexandra Bovis. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for your body to develop an immune response.

Everyone 6 months and older should get a yearly flu vaccine. School-age children are at a high risk for contracting the flu. Ample supplies for influenza vaccine are available.

But remember, if a family member falls ill with flu-like symptoms, keep him or her at home for at least 24 hours after a fever is gone.

No athletic event is too important. No job is so imperative.

As a parent, you have a responsibility to this community to isolate a sick child from others.

Ensure your family washes their hands often with soap and water. And implore them to avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.

Flu season is no fun. But if we all use common sense, we’ll get through it with the least amount of pain possible.

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