SEATTLE -- To the relief of many, the H1N1 flu turned out to be not quite as scary this past winter as many had anticipated. But county health officials are urging parents not to be lulled into a false sense of security, especially if your children are headed to summer camp.
Whether your kids are headed to a day camp or have a sleepaway experience lined up, summer camp is supposed to be one the best times of the year. But the fun factor can plunge precipitously if your child ends up being stuck sick in bed. Dr. Tao Kwan-Gett specializes in Communicable Diseases at the King County Health Department, and he has a reminder for families.
"There are many illnesses that you can prevent with vaccines that don't take the summer off," said Dr. Kwan-Gett.
Dr. Kwan-Gett is urging parents of camp-bound kids to make sure they've got an extra line of defense against the H1N1 flu this summer, particularly kids who already have any kind of health condition.
"Influenza outbreaks in the summer are rare," he said. "But when flu hits a summer camp, it can spread like wildfire. So making sure that your child is immunized, especially if your child has asthma or diabetes, is really important."
Kwan-Get also says being up to date on the MMR vaccine is more important than ever this summer since there have already been several troubling outbreaks of the illnesses the shot prevents.
"We've just seen a large measles outbreak in Vancouver, BC, mumps is in the midwest and northeast. So those diseases are around and we need to take steps we can to keep our kids healthy from them," he said.
But while most school aged children should already be immuzined against those illnesses, Dr. Kwan-Gett says he can't stress enough that taking a few seconds to get the H1N1 vaccine now, could make or break your child's summer vacation.
"Well I guess the only thing we can predict about the flu is that it's unpredictable," he said.
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