Holiday safety is an issue that burns brightest from late November to mid-January, when families gather, parties are scheduled and travel spikes. Take some basic precautions to ensure your family remains safe and injury-free throughout the season.
Traveling for the Holidays? Be Prepared
Many people choose to travel by car during the holidays, which has the highest fatality rate of any major form of transportation based on fatalities per passenger mile. In 2017, 329 people died on New Year's Day, 463 on Thanksgiving Day and 299 on Christmas Day, according to Injury Facts. Alcohol impairment was involved in about a third of the fatalities.
Stay safe on the roads over the holidays and every day:
Designate a sober driver to ensure guests make it home safely after a holiday party; alcohol or over-the-counter, prescription and illegal drugs can cause impairment
Decorate Safely
Decorating is one of the best ways to get in a holiday mood, but emergency rooms see thousands of injuries involving holiday decorating every season.
Keep potentially poisonous plants – mistletoe, holly berries, Jerusalem cherry and amaryllis – away from children
If using an artificial tree, check that it is labeled “fire resistant”
If using a live tree, cut off about 2 inches of the trunk to expose fresh wood for better water absorption, remember to water it and remove it from your home when it is dry
Place your tree at least 3 feet away from fireplaces, radiators and other heat sources, making certain not to block doorways
Avoid placing breakable ornaments or ones with small, detachable parts on lower tree branches where small children can reach them
Only use indoor lights indoors and outdoor lights outdoors, and choose the right ladder for the task when hanging lights
Replace light sets that have broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections
Follow the package directions on the number of light sets that can be plugged into one socket
Never nail, tack or stress wiring when hanging lights and keep plugs off the ground away from puddles and snow
Turn off all lights and decorations when you go to bed or leave the house
Watch Out for Fire-Starters
Candles and Fireplaces Use of candles and fireplaces, combined with an increase in the amount of combustible, seasonal decorations in many homes during the holidays, means more risk for fire. The National Fire Protection Association reports that one-third of home decoration fires are started by candles and that two of every five decoration fires happen because the decorations are placed too close to a heat source.
Place candles where they cannot be knocked down or blown over and out of reach of children.
Keep matches and lighters up high and out of reach for children in a locked cabinet.
Use flameless, rather than lighted, candles near flammable objects.
Don't burn trees, wreaths or wrapping paper in the fireplace.
Use a screen on the fireplace at all times when a fire is burning.
Never leave candles or fireplaces burning unattended or when you are asleep.
Check and clean the chimney and fireplace area at least once a year.
Turkey Fryers Be alert to the dangers if you're thinking of celebrating the holidays by frying a turkey. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports there have been 154 turkey-fryer related fires, burns or other injuries since 2004, with $5.2 million in property damage losses have resulted from these incidents.
NSC discourages the use of turkey fryers at home and urges those who prefer fried turkey to seek out professional establishments or consider using an oil-less turkey fryer. If you must fry your own turkey, follow all U.S. Fire Administration turkey fryer guidelines.
Food Poisoning Is No Joke
Keep your holidays happy by handling food safely. The foodsafety.gov website from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides some valuable holiday food safety tips:
Wash your hands frequently when handling food
Keep raw meat away from fresh produce
Use separate cutting boards, plate and utensils for uncooked and cooked meats to avoid cross-contamination
Use a food thermometer to make sure meat is cooked to a safe temperature
Refrigerate hot or cold leftover food within two hours of being served
When storing turkey, cut the leftovers in small pieces so they will chill quickly
Thanksgiving leftovers are safe for three to four days when properly refrigerated
While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone for 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. After using a tissue, throw it in the trash and wash your hands.
Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like flu.
Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting the first case of measles in Maine this
year. Maine CDC confirmed the case on May 20th, 2019. The case involves a school aged child from
Somerset County. The child was vaccinated, did not have any serious complications, and is fully
recovered from the disease. Maine CDC is working with the family and clinicians to identify exposed
contacts and assess contacts for evidence of immunity.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory
illness caused by a virus. Maine clinicians are asked to encourage vaccination and increase surveillance
for rash illness suggestive of measles to identify early potential cases and prevent the spread of disease
in Maine. Measles is an acute viral respiratory illness. It is characterized by a prodrome of fever (as high as 105°F)
and malaise, cough, coryza, and conjunctivitis followed several days later by a maculopapular rash. The
rash usually appears about 14 days after a person is exposed. The rash spreads from the head to the trunk
to the lower extremities. Measles can cause severe health complications including pneumonia,
encephalitis, and death. Measles is transmitted when an infected person coughs or sneezes; infected
people are contagious from four days before their rash starts through four days afterwards. After
an infected person leaves a location, the virus remains viable for up to two hours on surfaces and in the
air. Vaccination is the best method of protection against measles. The incubation period after exposure
to onset of symptoms is typically 10-14 days, but can be as long as 21 days.
For More Information:
• Maine CDC’s measles webpage: http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectiousdisease/epi/vaccine/measles.shtml
The beginning of the cold and flu season is upon us. To prevent
widespread flu in the school, we recommend that your child stay home
from school if experiencing flu or cold symptoms. To decide whether
or not to send your child to school, please consider the following
guidelines:
Consider
keeping your child at home for an extra day of rest and observation
if he or she has any of the following symptoms:
Very stuffy or runny nose and/or cough
Mild sore throat (no fever, no known exposure to strep)
Headache
Mild stomach ache
Definitely keep your child at home for treatment and observation
if he or she has any of these symptoms:
Fever (greater than 99.6 degrees by mouth and your child may return
to school only after his or her temperature has been consistently
below 99.6 degrees, by mouth, for a minimum of 24 hours)
Vomiting (even once)
Diarrhea
Chills
General malaise or feelings of fatigue, discomfort, weakness or
muscle aches
Frequent congested (wet) or croupy cough
Lots of nasal congestion with frequent blowing of nose
To
help prevent the flu and other colds, teach your children good
hygiene habits:
Wash hands frequently
Do not touch eyes, nose or mouth
Cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, use a paper tissue,
throw it away and then wash hands
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Get influenza vaccination each year
Colds are the most contagious during the first 48 hours. A child who
has a fever should remain at home until "fever free" for a
minimum of 24 hours. A child who has started antibiotics needs to be
on the medication for 48 hours before considered non-contagious and
able to return to school. Often when a child awakens with vague
complaints (the way colds and flu begin) it is wise to observe your
child at home for an hour or two before deciding whether or not to
bring to school. Your child should be physically able to
participate in all school activities on return to school.
Keeping a sick child at home will minimize the spread of infections
and viruses in our schools.
Thank
you in advance for helping make this year at school as healthy as
possible. We appreciate your support!!
***IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING VACCINES FOR INCOMING 7TH AND 12TH GRADERS!!
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education have revised the Maine School Immunization Requirements rule to now include meningococcal meningitis disease. These changes further align Maine’s immunization rules with current national recommendations to better protect the health of all Maine people. Meningococcal disease is a rare, but dangerous disease that strikes healthy young people without warning. It can affect all ages, but teens and young adults are at highest risk of getting the disease.
The following changes are effective for the 2018-2019 school year for all students attending a public or private school in the State of Maine:
One dose of meningococcal vaccine MCV4 (serogroups A, C, W, and Y) is required for all students entering 7th grade.
Two doses of meningococcal vaccine MCV4 are required for students entering 12th grade, with a minimum interval of 8 weeks between dose one and dose two. If the first dose of meningococcal vaccine was administered on or after the 16th birthday, a second dose is not required. If a student entering 12th grade is 15 years of age or younger, only one dose is required.
***Your child will be required to have proof of these vaccinations before they are allowed to start the school year.
We are providing you with this information now so that you have ample time to schedule an appointment prior to the first day of the 2018-2019 school year.
