Keeping H1N1 and Other Illnesses Away on Halloween
Everybody is freaking out about the H1N1 virus. A lot of people are running out and waiting for 6 plus hours to get the vaccine and just as many people are refusing to get it altogether. I don’t want to debate the vaccine, but I do want to share with you some tips on how to prevent exposure over Halloween. I’m sure your kids will be attending parties, and going trick-or-treating will expose them to all kinds of new people with who knows what illnesses. You should be cautious, but don’t lock your family up in fear.
Here are the tips: There aren’t many studies investigating Halloween candy and flu virus transmission. So the following 12 tips are based on practical advice from practicing pediatricians. They tell parents how to handle Halloween trick-or-treating for candy, with the goal of minimizing the risk of contracting H1N1 swine flu and other “bugs.
Forget Grab Bags. Consider Non-Food Treats
1. Give Non-Candy Halloween Treats. There’s national concern over childhood obesity. Instead of candy, Dr. Shu* recommends “trading cards, baseball cards, tattoos, bookmarks, balls, glow sticks, or plastic spiders,” noting that these treats “don’t promote obesity and tooth decay.“ Check Oriental Trading Company and Target stores.
2. Scoop Halloween Candy, to Avoid H1N1. When giving out candy, hand it or scoop it – but avoid the grab bag. “If kids are fingering through a bag of candy it could add germs to the mix,” says Dr. Shu. Instead, hand the candy to each trick-or-treater. Or, use a cup to scoop it from a bowl. That way, many hands aren’t touching the same chocolate candy kiss.
Halloween Candy: Put Aside for Two Days
1. Let Those Germs Die. Let Halloween candy “sit” for a few days before touching or eating it. Dr. Shu says, “two days is plenty of time for any contagions” like a H1N1 virus that happens to be on the candy wrapper to die.
2. Avoid Obesity. No need to be a killjoy, but make Halloween candy last. (read more!)
image: stewystuff
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