It’s been nearly two years since the novel coronavirus became an active threat to all Americans. Despite the great strides that have been made with regard to vaccine availability and public education, COVID-19 and its growing number of variants continue to infect individuals of all ages. Needless to say, this period has been particularly stressful on parents, who must constantly work to protect both themselves and their children from potential COVID-19 exposure. While keeping your little ones safe from the novel coronavirus may seem like an uphill climb, there are a number of simple measures that can prove tremendously helpful in this endeavor.

Get Them Vaccinated Against COVID-19 

Currently in the U.S., all children aged five and up are eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Since vaccines are available free of charge at a host of pharmacies, clinics and other healthcare facilities, neither affordability nor accessibility should be a problem. As is the case with any viruses, the most effective way to protect oneself is with a vaccine. So, unless any of your children (aged five and up) have medical conditions that prohibit them from getting vaccinated, you’d do well to ensure that they get their vaccines posthaste.

In addition to getting your kids vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, make sure they’re current with their flu shots, too. The dual threat of COVID-19 and the flu can be particularly potent during the winter season, and vaccines can provide your children with an added layer of protection. For good measure, you should also contact your children’s respective doctors to confirm that they’re current with their various vaccinations. Should you discover that any of your kids are in need of an important vaccine, speak to the relevant parties about getting the shot scheduled. Ohio-based families looking for healthcare services for children are encouraged to do a search for “general family medical practice Rockwood.”  

Make Sure Their Schools Are Safe 

Not all states are taking the threat of COVID-19 seriously. While some states are requiring schools to take an abundance of precautions, others seem content leaving things entirely up to chance. If you happen to hail from the latter, it may be a good idea to confirm that the schools your children are attending are safe before having them make a return to traditional in-person learning. Do their schools have masking policies and social distancing policies in effect? How many confirmed cases of COVID-19 has the school seen in recent months? These are just a couple of the questions you should take into account when determining whether it’s safe to send your kids back to school. 

If you’re unsatisfied with the level of safety being offered by your children’s schools, inquire into whether remote learning options are still being offered. Should the answer turn out to be “no,” seek out schools that do regard student safety as a top priority. 

Limit Their Contact with Proudly Unvaccinated Friends and Family Members 

As many anti-vaxxers have made abundantly clear, no one can tell them what to do. More often than not, this doesn’t just describe their approach to vaccination – but precautionary measures in general. Since these individuals refuse to get vaccinated, mask up or take other common-sense precautions, they could be walking around with mild or asymptomatic COVID-19 infections without even realizing it. 

So, if any close friends or family members in your inner circle fit this description, it’s recommended that you keep them away from your children until such time as they decide to do the right thing and get vaccinated. This may ruffle a few feathers, but at the end of the day, your children’s continued well-being is more important than irritating people who refuse to think of anyone but themselves.    

For almost two years, we’ve been living with the very real threat presented by COVID-19. To say that this period has been tough on parents would be an understatement. With most schools closing during the first year of the pandemic, many parents had to rearrange their work schedules in order to accommodate their children’s remote learning. Additionally, with many schools returning to normal operations and kids spending a lot more time outside the house, your children’s odds of potential exposure to the virus get higher and higher. Parents looking to ensure the safety of their children throughout this trying time can benefit from the pointers discussed above.