The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) recommends 4 main ways you and your family may keep from getting sick with the flu at school and at home:

1.  Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough and sneeze.  If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder; not into your hands.

2.  Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing.  Alcohol based hand cleaners are also effective.

3.  Stay home if you or your child is sick for at least 24 hours after there is no longer a fever or signs of a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medicine).  Keeping sick students at home means that they keep their viruses to themselves rather than sharing them with others.

4.  Get your family vaccinated for seasonal flu and 2009 H1N1 flu when vaccines are available.

Follow these steps to prepare for the flu during the 2009-2010 school year.

1.  Update emergency contact lists at school.

2.  Plan for child care at home if your child gets sick .

3.  Plan to monitor the health of a sick child and any other children in the household by checking fever and other flu symptoms of flu.