As many little ghouls and goblins prepare to collect their sweets, health officials at Carle are offering tips to keep yourself and your trick-or-treaters healthy this Halloween.
Additionally, the CDC offers updated guidelines and says that families can feel safe trick-or-treating this year.
Jon Youakim, MD, pediatrics, echoes these safety guidelines and encourages families to stay safe, wear a mask when in close contact, and keep the Halloween fun outdoors this year where possible.
“It’s important to remember to keep a mask on when approaching a door and interacting closely with others this Halloween,” Dr. Youakim said. “Many costumes may come with a mask, but those clearly have openings for the eyes and mouth. It’s important to keep the nose and mouth covered for those interactions.”
Limiting trick-or-treating groups to smaller numbers is another important tip to keeping your children and family safe. Dr. Youakim recommends groups be no larger than five to ten children outside of your immediate household to limit the risk of exposure to someone who may have COVID-19.
“Just like we would for any other gathering, keeping your group smaller or within your immediate family reduces the risk of contracting COVID-19 from those who may have it,” Dr. Youakim said.
However, one of his biggest pieces of advice for those who plan to go trick-or-treating this year is to receive your COVID-19 vaccine if you have yet to do so.
He says this will protect not only you but those around you as well.
“We are experiencing a more ‘normal’ Halloween than we did in 2020, and that is because we know the vaccine is effective and provides protection against serious illness from COVID-19,” Dr. Youakim said. “Anyone 12 years and older is currently eligible for the vaccine, and I encourage those who are not vaccinated to get one as soon as possible.”
In addition to COVID-19, there are many other ways to keep your children and your family safe this Halloween.
Dr. Youakim encourages families to be cautious with the candy received by children at each home. In general, he advises parents to inspect candy wrappers that might already be open and encourage children not to eat any candy before a parent or adult has had a chance to look at it.
He also warns families of the dangers dark-colored costumes may bring when near busy roads and intersections at night. Dr. Youakim encourages trick-or-treaters to wear bright or light-colored clothing when trick-or-treating at night.
Other tips Dr. Youakim offers include:
Additionally, the CDC offers updated guidelines and says that families can feel safe trick-or-treating this year.
Jon Youakim, MD, pediatrics, echoes these safety guidelines and encourages families to stay safe, wear a mask when in close contact, and keep the Halloween fun outdoors this year where possible.
“It’s important to remember to keep a mask on when approaching a door and interacting closely with others this Halloween,” Dr. Youakim said. “Many costumes may come with a mask, but those clearly have openings for the eyes and mouth. It’s important to keep the nose and mouth covered for those interactions.”
Limiting trick-or-treating groups to smaller numbers is another important tip to keeping your children and family safe. Dr. Youakim recommends groups be no larger than five to ten children outside of your immediate household to limit the risk of exposure to someone who may have COVID-19.
“Just like we would for any other gathering, keeping your group smaller or within your immediate family reduces the risk of contracting COVID-19 from those who may have it,” Dr. Youakim said.However, one of his biggest pieces of advice for those who plan to go trick-or-treating this year is to receive your COVID-19 vaccine if you have yet to do so.
He says this will protect not only you but those around you as well.
“We are experiencing a more ‘normal’ Halloween than we did in 2020, and that is because we know the vaccine is effective and provides protection against serious illness from COVID-19,” Dr. Youakim said. “Anyone 12 years and older is currently eligible for the vaccine, and I encourage those who are not vaccinated to get one as soon as possible.”
In addition to COVID-19, there are many other ways to keep your children and your family safe this Halloween.
Dr. Youakim encourages families to be cautious with the candy received by children at each home. In general, he advises parents to inspect candy wrappers that might already be open and encourage children not to eat any candy before a parent or adult has had a chance to look at it.
He also warns families of the dangers dark-colored costumes may bring when near busy roads and intersections at night. Dr. Youakim encourages trick-or-treaters to wear bright or light-colored clothing when trick-or-treating at night.
Other tips Dr. Youakim offers include:
- Carrying hand sanitizer for your family to use frequently.
- Washing your hands before consuming any collected candy.
- Leave individually wrapped candy or treats on a table outside if you want to limit contact with trick-or-treaters.
- Take a rapid COVID-19 test before interacting with others.
- Avoid sharp costume weapons that can cause eye injuries
- Keep costumes short to prevent falls and tripping.
- Stick to the scheduled trick-or-treat hours established by your town.
Categories: Community
Tags: “community, COVID-19, Halloween, health, initiatives”, pediatrics