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Teach kids by example by showing them proper hand
washing technique:
- Wet hands with water and apply an
amount
of soap recommended by the manufacturer
to hands.
- Rub hands together vigorously for
at least
20 seconds, covering all surfaces of the hands and giving added
attention to fingernails and surfaces where jewelry is worn.
- Rinse hands with water.
- Dry thoroughly with a disposable
towel.
- Use towel to turn off faucet.
Placing hand washing reminders at children's eye level will also help them
become consistent hand washers.
Keeping Your Children Healthy
Teach kids to adopt these other healthy habits in order to prevent the spread of
germs:
- Avoid sharing objects such as utensils,
cups, and bottles.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue
when you cough or sneeze and wash
your hands afterwards. If tissue-less, cough or sneeze into your elbow or
upper arm,
not your hands.
- Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose
and mouth to keep germs from entering
your body.
Parents should also prepare for the potential
spread of H1N1 flu by talking with family members and loved ones about how they
would be cared for if they got sick. Also ask your child's school or day care if
there are plans to encourage sick children to stay home to reduce the spread of
the disease.
Educational Tools
Parents and teachers can reinforce kids' hand washing habits by using tools such
as The
Scrub ClubŪ, an
interactive Web site that offers free materials to raise awareness about the
benefits of
hand washing to fight germs and prevent illness.
The fun, Web-based experience is complete
with
educational materials, music,
games and cartoon
"Webisodes."
The Scrub ClubŪ is being used by hundreds of schools
nationwide, and teachers continue to integrate the Scrub Club educational
activities into their daily curriculum. These educational materials are
currently available in French, English and Spanish.
The American Red Cross and NSF International (NSF) have collaborated to help
protect public health. Collectively, NSF, the Red Cross and seven "soaper-heroes"
are teaching children the importance of proper and consistent hand washing
through the Scrub ClubŪ.
Through this partnership, the two organizations are helping educate communities
across the nation about the benefits
of hand washing to fight germs and prevent illness.
Resources
For more detailed information and ongoing updates go to:
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC):
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu
Washington State Department of Health:
http://www.doh.wa.gov/h1n1
American National Red Cross:
http://www.redcross.org
Public Health
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department
http://www.tpchd.org/page.php?id=482
Thurston County Public Health and Human Services
http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/personalhealth/influenza/swineflu.html
Mason County
http://www.co.mason.wa.us/forms/Health/what_to_do_about_the_flu.pdf
Lewis County
http://lewiscountywa.gov/publichealth/public-health-blog
Grays Harbor County Public
Health and Social Services Department
http://www.healthygh.org/page.aspx?id=428558
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