As the school year begins, an epidemic continues to spread in the country.
So what should you know when sending your children to school?
monkeypox
Doctors at Texas Children’s Hospital say they are worried about monkeypox, but it is rare for children to get the disease.
Texas has more than 800 cases, but only two are under the age of 18.
“This is not COVID. Let’s be clear. We are dealing with it.”
polio
Although polio was thought to be eradicated in the United States in 1994, it is now widespread in New York, as evidenced by wastewater monitoring.
“This is a very deadly virus,” said Dr. Stan Spinner, chief medical officer and vice president of Texas Pediatrics. “There is no cure, so I don’t want to wait until my child develops it.”
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Children are typically vaccinated against polio at 2, 4, and 6 months of age, with a booster around age 4.
The latest information about vaccines is fine, Spinner added.
But since the COVID vaccine became available, doctors say they’ve seen more vaccine hesitation and refusal than ever before for all vaccinations. It puts people at risk of polio.
“Once it starts, we certainly worry about where it will go.
COVID
There are currently 62 children hospitalized with COVID in Southeast Texas.
Doctors agree that we are in a healthy place to start the school year for years to come.
They say normalcy is important, but balance it with letting your guard down to keep the spread of infection low.
They suggest testing children when they have signs of symptoms so they can be reassured by a negative result.
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mental health
Mental health is something everyone cares about, and it’s probably affecting your child as well.
It’s only been a few months since the attacks at Yuvalde, says Dr. Katherine Gallagher, and your children may know more about school safety concerns and stresses than you think. I say I can’t.
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She advises parents to be aware of and address their own emotions before addressing their child’s concerns.
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She says to ask open-ended questions to start a conversation.
“Oh, are you worried about this?” But you want to make sure you give them a place to share,” Gallagher said.
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Listen when they share how they feel. Stop trying to “fix it”.
“I want to do something to make them feel better, but sometimes it’s actually best to listen. We’re going to get through this together,” Gallagher said. , models believing that it’s okay to have emotions and that whatever happens, let them handle it.”
On Thursdays from 6-7pm, Texas Children’s Hospital’s Behavioral Problem Experts will answer questions about dealing with back-to-school anxiety.
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