This cute little bar graph from the CDC says it all:
Peak Month of Influenza Activity 1976—77 through 2008—09 Seasons
What does this mean for us? It means don't get casual, we're not out of the weeds yet. Cough or sneeze into your elbow, sanitize your hands often when you are out if you have little ones to protect back home, and use proper hand washing techniques.
Don't forget to use a sanitizing wipe on your cell phone, keys, debit/credit card, favorite pen, tv remote, digital camera, door handles, and light switches. And don't let your baby play with these during Flu Season. They are a known to be breeding grounds for germs.
If your baby is out shopping with you, sanitize your hands before touching your baby. I actually saw a woman sit her baby on the pharmacy counter during Flu Season and start rubbing her finger across his lips making funny noises. I wondered how many coughing and hacking people had waited at that counter that day. And I thought of all the scared parents of hospitalized babies and small children I've seen who have been confused about how their baby could be so ill when nobody else in the family was sick.
No, it's not trying to create a bubble. Yes, your baby needs exposure to germs to develop immunities. But your baby has to have a fully functioning immune system before he can fight off germs and develop antibodies to future illness. If you have a newborn or a baby who is especially vulnerable to Seasonal Flu, H1N1, or RSV, follow the recommendations of the CDC and your baby's Pediatrician and be extra careful during Flu Season.
How long Flu Season lasts varies throughout the country. Your physician should be more than happy to answer your questions about how to keep your family safe as we look forward to the sunshine at the end of Flu Season.
