Healthy habbits prevent illness

As children return to school, spend less time outdoors and more time in confined spaces such as classrooms, the chances of airborne illness increases. The flu season is already upon us, and there are confirmed cases of flu within Garfield Re-2.

The Garfield Re-2 School District is focusing on prevention.  We are continuing to work with Garfield County Public Health Department in monitoring the flu situation including H1N1, but here are some tips that we hope you will find helpful in keeping your family healthy this year:

• Wash Your Hands, often and with soap and water for at least 15-20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, then use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  
• Cover coughs and sneezes with tissues or by coughing into the inside of your elbow or shoulder. Put tissue in the trash & wash your hands.
  
• Parents: Check your children for symptoms of the flu: fever with a cough or a sore throat, headache, body aches, diarrhea and or vomiting.
  
• Don’t send students to school if they have flu like symptoms this includes a fever, sore throat, cough, runny nose, body aches, vomiting, or diarrhea.
  
• Please keep children out of school until they have had no fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine, like ibuprofen or Tylenol, even if they feel better.
  
• Vaccinate your children and yourself with the flu vaccine. It is anticipated that seasonal flu vaccine will be available in September  & a specific H1N1 flu vaccine will be available in October.

The Garfield Re-2 School district will continue to work with Garfield County Public Health and keep you informed as information becomes available about the seasonal flu and H1N1 flu. Thank you for helping keep our students, staff and your family healthy this year.