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Advice from Dr. Norma Villanueva, MD, MPH
Sending a child to camp shouldn't be a scary thing,
but with heightened concern around pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (Swine)
Flu outbreaks at camps, it is easy to be worried about your
child's health. For parents who have chosen an ACA-accredited
camp, they can be assured that the camp is following CDC
guidelines and has procedures in place for illness, injury,
and communicable diseases. The following checklist serves
as a helpful list of questions to ask your camp and help
ease any fears you may have about your child's upcoming
camp experience.
Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Flu Prevention Camp Check List:
- Does my child's camp have a pandemic (H1N1)
2009 plan in place? Have you received information from your
child's camp about pandemic (H1N1) 2009 flu prevention
and what to do if you suspect your child has the virus?
If not, follow up with your child's camp to determine
what, if anything, the camp is doing. The most important
thing is that you feel comfortable with the protocol the
camp has set up.
- Does my child's camp have hand-washing stations
readily available? Hand washing is essential to help prevent
the spread of pandemic (H1N1) 2009. Check with the staff
at your child's camp to make sure they have facilities
where campers can wash their hands with soap and water
and remind your child of the importance of hand washing
before they head to camp.
- Does my child's camp have alcohol based hand
sanitizers for campers? It's not always easy for a camper to
wash his or hands, so as a backup, check in to see if your
child's camp will have alcohol based hand sanitizers
available for the campers and the staff. If not, be sure
to include an on-the-go alcohol based hand sanitizer in
your child's backpack or overnight bag.
- Does my child's camp routinely clean the camp? It is important that your child's camp uses an EPA-registered
disinfectant that kills influenza A, such as bleach or
disinfecting wipes to help prevent the spread of germs
on hard non-porous surfaces. Check in with your child's
camp to make sure they are routinely disinfecting hard
surfaces like door knobs, light switches, and table tops
in popular camp common areas.
By no means should parents keep their child from enjoying
the camp experience; rather, there are simple pandemic (H1N1)
2009 prevention tips parents can teach their children before
they head out for some fun.
- Need for Handwashing: Your soon-to-be-camper should wash
his or her hands in warm water and soap for at least 20
seconds (the time it takes to sing the Happy Birthday song
twice) in order to kill germs. Give your child a bottle
of alcohol-based hand sanitizer to carry in his or her
bag for the times they are not by water and a sink.
- Be Best Friends with the Tissue: The age old “cover
your cough or sneeze with your hand” doesn't
do the trick. Parents should encourage their child to cough
and sneeze into a tissue and throw the tissue immediately
in the trash once they are finished. If a tissue is not
nearby, use your elbow as a backup when you cough or sneeze.
- Stay Away from Germ Zones: Encourage your child to stop
touching his or her eyes, nose, and mouth as germs are
easily spread that way.
- Keep Your Child Home When Necessary: If you suspect your
child has pandemic (H1N1) 2009 symptoms, he or she should
stay home for seven days prior to returning to camp.
While staying healthy at camp is incredibly important, parents
should remember that camp is also about having fun and getting
to know new people. By being smart about pandemic (H1N1) 2009
prevention, your child can be on the path to do just that.
For more information visit http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/camp.htm or
click here.
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