Guard Against Swine Flu at Summer Camp

Before sending off your kids, take some precautions, expert says

July 18, 2009 RSS Feed Print

SATURDAY, July 18 (HealthDay News) -- As children head off to summer camp, many parents are concerned about the risk for swine flu.

To protect kids from the H1N1 virus when they're at camp, Dr. Jeffrey Boscamp, a pediatric infectious diseases expert at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, recommends the following:

Confirm that the camp is doing regular screenings, promoting proper hygiene and updating parents on any reported cases of swine flu.
Find out if any H1N1 cases have been reported at the camp and if it has quarantined areas for infected children.
Consider leaving siblings behind when visiting a child at camp. The H1N1 virus is particularly contagious among children.
Check your temperature the night before and the morning of your visit. Bring some extra alcohol-based hand sanitizer with you.

More information

The American Academy of Pediatrics has more about swine flu.