How to stay healthy this back-to-school season

It’s an exciting time filled with new school supplies, renewed friendships, fall sports and packed lunches. It’s also a time to focus on your child’s health and well-being.

Below are six tips to prepare your student for the academic year and instill healthy habits to help them reach their full potential.

Ensure your child is up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines

Being up to date means getting all doses, including booster shots, that a person is eligible to receive. COVID-19 vaccines are now widely available for children as young as 6 months old, and booster shots are available for children 5 and older.

“It’s true that as a group, kids tend to suffer less severe consequences from COVID-19 than adults, but an infection doesn’t come without risk,” says Gretchen LaSalle, MD, a family medicine physician at MultiCare Rockwood Clinic and author of the book “Let’s Talk Vaccines.”

Since 2020, more than 1,300 children in the U.S. have died from COVID and nearly 8,800 have developed a life-threatening, virus-related condition called multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C). Just like adults, children are also at risk of experiencing long COVID, which can occur even after mild or symptom-free infections.

“Thankfully we now have safe, effective vaccines that do an excellent job of preventing devastating outcomes of disease and preserving our children’s healthy futures,” Dr. LaSalle says.

Don’t forget about other immunizations, including an annual flu shot.

A lot of children fell behind on routine immunizations because of the pandemic, but it’s important to get caught up to keep your child safe and stop the spread of disease.

Before entering kindergarten, children are required to receive the following vaccinations:

• Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)
• Polio
• Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP)
• Chickenpox (also known as varicella)
• Hepatitis B

Not sure what immunizations your child needs? You can either contact your pediatrician or find out what immunizations are required for each grade by reading this Washington State Department of Health chart. Immunizations required for children entering child care programs can be found here.

For more information about vaccines, visit Mary Bridge Children’s Immunization Clinic.

Encourage your child to eat a rainbow of colors every day.

Fruits and vegetables in different colors offer a broad range of nutrients that support mood, digestion and growth, as well as the functioning of the immune system. Eating a wide array of fruits and vegetables as a child also lays the foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating habits.

“Opt for whole fruits and vegetables instead of juices, gummies and pouches, which are often full of added sugar,” Dr. LaSalle says. “Children are also more likely to be open to fruits and vegetables if they see you eating them as well.”

The Whole Kids Foundation website offers several recipes, books and fun activities to help educate children about eating a nutritious diet.

Make time for plenty of sleep

Depending on their age, children should get anywhere between eight to 12 hours of sleep daily.

“Adequate sleep is critical for healthy growth and development in children,” says Dr. LaSalle. “Studies have shown that chronic sleep deprivation can negatively affect kids’ immune systems and can contribute to depression as well as learning difficulties.”

Review hand hygiene

Proper hand washing can prevent one in three diarrhea-related illnesses and one in five respiratory infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Wondering what “proper” entails? Lather up with soap and water for 20 seconds, about the same amount of time it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice. One of the best ways to instill good hand hygiene in children is to lead by example.

“In addition to handwashing, remind kids to avoid touching their faces — especially their eyes, nose and mouth,” Dr. LaSalle says. “It can also be helpful to pack a small hand sanitizer bottle in their backpack, so they have an easily accessible option at school if they don’t have the opportunity to wash their hands.”

Keep them home when they’re sick.

This advice seems straightforward enough, but many a parent has wondered, “How sick is too sick to send my child to school?”

“Even if it’s not COVID-19, it’s important not to send kids to school when they don’t feel well,” Dr. LaSalle says. “All kinds of illnesses, such as the flu and strep throat, are easily spread in school environments. Kids with fever, cough, runny nose, fatigue, body aches, vomiting or diarrhea should stay home until their symptoms resolve.”

To make sure your child enters this school year happy and healthy, we encourage parents to schedule an annual physical for their children. Visit our directory to find a provider at Mary Bridge Children’s.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published Aug. 25, 2021, and was updated on Aug. 17, 2022.