by RYAN MILEJCZAK
Sponsored by Central Florida Health Care
Soon, kids across Central Florida will be going back to school, and that means it’s time to start preparing. In addition to loading up on school supplies, it’s also important to make sure kids are prepared to stay healthy so they can get the most out of their school year.
To help us learn more about this topic, Maggie Gaa, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, a family nurse practitioner with Central Florida Health Care, took the time to explain all the necessary steps to set your kids up for a healthy and productive school year.
One of the biggest concerns when kids go back to school is the spread of illnesses like the common cold and the flu.
“When we think about going back to school, we automatically think about fall,” Gaa explains. “We’re putting them with a bunch of other kids right in time for cold and flu season, so prevention is huge. We really want to make sure that they are doing proper hand hygiene by washing their hands and using hand sanitizer. And as soon as they can get a flu vaccine, they should get it so they can prevent getting or spreading the flu.”
For some, vaccines are a source of anxiety, but Gaa assures them there’s no need for concern that the flu vaccine will make you sick or cause any other issues.
“The flu vaccine is an inactive form of the virus that cannot make you sick,” says Gaa. “It is possible, however, that some people have already picked up the virus shortly before getting the vaccine. Then, a couple of days later, they start having [symptoms], and they blame the vaccine. But really, you already had the flu and your symptoms didn’t show up until after getting the vaccine. The research shows time and time again: The vaccine is the best way to help prevent the spread of the flu.”
Gaa also notes that it’s essential kids get other important vaccinations in addition to the flu.
“Starting at 2 months old, kids start getting their regularly scheduled immunizations, and that goes up through the time they’re about 16 to 18. It’s always important for kids to get their yearly physical even when they’re older and not getting vaccines as frequently. It’s good to check in with your provider to make sure there aren’t any other vaccines, like an updated tetanus or meningitis shot, or the HPV vaccine, that the child may be due for and the parent doesn’t even know about it.”
Besides vaccinations and hygiene, managing stress both when going back to school and throughout the school year is also important.
“With the stress surrounding going back to school in general, it’s important for caregivers to be proactive and not wait till the last minute to start preparing,” says Gaa. “The sooner that you get on that and start organizing and making sure that you have those things to prepare your child for the school year, the less stress the caregiver will have, and therefore, the less stress the child will have. And of course, it’s important that caregivers let their kids know they can come to them anytime they’re feeling overwhelmed or anxious.”
Finally, Gaa left off by stressing the importance of not putting off annual physicals.
“Do not put off the annual school sports physical. A lot of times in healthcare we see this huge surge of people needing sports physicals or annual physicals right when school starts. So, my advice is to go ahead and get your kid’s yearly checkup scheduled, and get it done before the school year starts. Then it’s out of the way and you’re good for a year, and you don’t have to worry about trying to get in at the last minute.”