Dear Parent / Guardian,
The cold and flu season may be serious this year. If your child has a serious health condition, you should talk
with your family doctor and ask if he or she should get a flu shot. We urge you to keep children with symptoms
of cold or flu at home to help prevent the spread of illness to others. You will find some guides below to help
you decide if you should keep your children home from school.
Consider keeping at home for an extra day of rest and watch if they have:
• Very stuffy or runny nose, and/or cough
• Mild sore throat (no fever, no exposure to strep throat)
• Headache
Keep at home for rest and care if they have:
• Fever greater than 100 degrees
• Chills
• General tiredness or not feeling good
• Frequent congestion - (wet) or croup-sounding cough
• Lots of nasal congestion with frequent blowing of the nose
• Stomach symptoms may not be part of cold or flu signs, but your child should stay home to help
prevent the spread of illness if they have vomiting (even just once) or diarrhea.
To help prevent the flu and other diseases, teach your kids to:
• Wash their hands frequently
• Not touch their eyes, nose or mouth
• Cover their mouth and nose when sneezing and coughing
• Use tissues only once and throw away into the waste basket
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Not share drinks and food
A cold or flu spreads most easily during the first 48 hours. A child who has a fever should remain at home until
the fever has been 100 degrees or lower for 24 hours. Antibiotics are not effective for viruses such as simple
colds and flu and are not usually given (to help prevent drug resistance). Bacterial infections such as strep
throat or ear infections may require antibiotics. A child taking antibiotics should be on the medication for 24
hours before returning to school. A child may awaken with unclear complaints, which could be a cold or flu. If
this happens, it is wise to watch him or her at home for an hour or two before deciding whether to bring them to
school. Many of you do this already!
Keeping a sick child at home will help reduce the spread of colds and flu in the classroom. It is a very long day
for a sick child sent to school. A child should be physically able to take part in all school activities when
returning to school.
Thank you in advance for helping make this year at Putnam County Schools as healthy as possible.
Community Health Nurse Supervisor
(386)326-3205 cynthia_ellis@doh.state.fl.us
