Flu, or influenza, is a viral disease that attacks the respiratory system. It’s highly contagious, and it may cause serious complications to young children, the elderly, people with underlying conditions, and people with weak immune systems.

Flu is not fun!
Flu symptoms are far from pleasant: think nasal congestion, coughing, sore throat, headache, fever, muscle pain, and loss of appetite. Flu makes it difficult for you and your child to go about your daily activities.

Prevention is better than cure.
Why let your family suffer from flu? There are many things you can do to help prevent your loved ones from catching and spreading the flu virus.

To make it easier for you to keep your family away from flu, here are printable pages of things to do. Post them somewhere easily seen by the whole family. Better yet, why not print one for each room of the house?

Avoid the Achoos!

• Make hand washing a family habit.
• Disinfect door handles, telephones, remote controls and other surfaces.
• Ask your child to cover his mouth and nose when sneezing and coughing.
• Tell your child to avoid touching his mouth, nose and eyes.
• Everyone in the family must avoid getting too close to sick people.
• If a family member is sick, it’s best for him to stay at home.
• Throw used tissue immediately.
• Avoid sharing utensils.
• Everyone should get enough rest every day.
• Regular exercise is a must.
• Drink immunity-boosting vitamins everyday!

Print and post this to remind everyone when to wash their hands.

Wash Your Hands:

• Before and after meals.
• After sneezing, coughing, or blowing your nose.
• Before and after caring for a sick person.
• After using the bathroom.
• Before, during, and after food preparation.
• After touching animals.
• After playing outside.
• Before and after touching a wound.
• Touching dirty or contaminated things, like used tissue or garbage bag.

Lastly, here’s a guide to proper hand washing.

Wash your hands the right way!

1. Wet your hands with water.
2. Apply soap on your hands.
3. Rub your palms together.
4. Clean the back of your hands and your thumbs.
5. Clean under your nails.
6. Rinse all soap residues.
7. Using a tissue, turn off the faucet.
8. Dry your hands carefully. 

Scrubbing your hands should take about 15 to 20 seconds—about the same time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice. Remember to wash your hands frequently throughout the day to keep infections and disease away.

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