• Get the seasonal flu vaccine for yourself.

• Encourage your child’s close contacts to get seasonal flu vaccine, too. This is very important if your child is younger than 5 or if he or she has a chronic health problem such as asthma (breathing disease) or diabetes (high blood sugar levels). Because children under 6 months can’t be vaccinated, they rely on those around them to get vaccinated.

• Wash your hands often and cover your coughs and sneezes. It’s best to use a tissue and quickly throw it away. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands. Tis will prevent the spread of germs.

• Tell your children to:

          • Stay away from people who are sick;

          • Clean their hands often;

          • Keep their hands away from their face, and

          • Cover coughs and sneezes to protect others.