Your Child Has the Flu? Keep A Sick Child At Home

Keeping a sick child home from school or daycare is always important to help control the spread of viruses; but for many parents, taking time off from work is difficult. How can parents tell if their child is ill enough to stay home? How can they balance their work responsibilities with the care their child needs?

How do you know if a child is ill enough to stay home from school? The symptoms of influenza include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, and feeling very tired.  Some people with novel influenza A (H1N1) may vomit or have diarrhea.  Children with these symptoms should stay home, and should not return to school or daycare until they have been fever-free (without the use of fever-reducing medication) for 24 hours.

Working parents should plan for having a sick child at home.  Some suggestions are for parents to use their time off to stay home; to coordinate schedules with a spouse, family member or friend to stay home with the child; ask about working different hours temporarily to coordinate schedule of car; ask about working from home; work with other parents who have sick children to share care.

For more information on caring for an ill person in your home, visit www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance_homecare.htm.

For links to national, state and local flu web sites and the latest local information, go to www.genesishealth.com/flu.