Last school year, the state’s health commissioner reported a more severe flu season than prior years. And the state’s Department of Health says there have been 23 measles cases outside of New York City so far this year.
This may raise some red flags for parents.
With kids soon returning to school, health experts are reminding parents of some tips to keep in mind.
Unless if a child has a valid medical exemption, children in daycare and pre-K through 12th grade in New York state are required to be vaccinated, according to the state Department of Health.
A physician with St. Joseph’s Health, who is also the chief physician for the Fayetteville-Manlius School District, says parents who have concerns about measles should contact their pediatrician.
She recommends getting back into a sleep schedule, and said kids should get between 9 and 11 hours of sleep each night and keep electronics out of the bedroom as they sleep.
She also suggested stocking up on healthy snacks, trading in juice for water and being aware of symptoms of anxiety in children.
“Anxiety can impact on the sleep. And also impact our school performance. If we are not paying attention to that, the parents and the kids probably would have a little bit of hard time as the school year goes along,” said Dr. Julie Yu Colvin at St. Joseph’s Health.
Spectrum News 1 also spoke with a nurse practitioner and regional clinical director at WellNow Urgent Care.
She said COVID-19 was prevalent last year.
Offices also had many patients with RSV, cold and flu viruses.
She said it is normal for norovirus cases to pick up at the start of the school year.
Practicing hand hygiene, she said, is important.
“Sharing is caring in many ways, but this is one aspect of life that we would wish that they didn’t share so much. So, it’s just a common conversation, not only at school but also at home, and making sure they understand the importance of how they can prevent them and their friends and family from getting sick,” said WellNow Urgent Care Nurse Practitioner and Regional Clinical Director Lindsay Bishop.
Bishop recommends looking into getting the flu vaccine and taking your kids to get checked out by a doctor if they have a fever or have worsening symptoms.
Medical experts also said kids should learn to cough or sneeze into their elbows, not their hands.
Something else we hear about during the school year is head lice.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says avoiding hair-to-hair contact, not sharing clothes and washing clothing, bed linens and towels can help prevent and control the spread of head lice.