U.S. Issues Swine Flu Guidelines for Day-Care Programs

Vaccination, good hygiene practices are among recommendations to protect young children

The CDC guidelines included these recommendations:

Wash hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer ( touchless sanitizer station); keep hands away from the nose, mouth and eyes; and cover noses and mouths when coughing or sneezing. Use a shirt sleeve or elbow if no tissue is available.

Clean the environment regularly. Areas and items that are dirty should be cleaned immediately, and all areas should be regularly cleaned, especially toys and play areas.

Staffers at high risk for flu complications and parents of children under age 5 who become ill with flu-like illness should call their doctor as soon as possible to see if they need antiviral treatment.

If the swine flu outbreak is severe, consider temporarily closing the day-care center to decrease the spread of infection. This decision should be made locally, in concert with public health officials, and should balance the risks of keeping a program open with the social and economic problems that can come from closing a program.

These guidelines may need to be revisited and revised should the swine flu prove more dangerous this fall and winter, health officials said. Under those conditions:

Let high-risk staffers stay home.

Increase the distance between children, and separate children into small groups of six or less.

Have children stay home if there are others in the household with the swine flu.

There may also be the need to close the program either as a reaction to the outbreak or as a preventive closure.

More information

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