Local Daycare, Pediatrician Weigh In On Flu Prevention

EAST PEORIA - The flu is making its rounds through central Illinois but there's one age group that is especially important to protect. Children are often spreading their germs at daycare and at school.

Rogy's Learning Center is teaching many things, but right now the most important skill is hand washing.

Assistant Director Missy Koepple said the first thing any child does when they walk through the door is wash their hands. She said Rogy's takes care fo 159 kids, from newborns to age 12.

For Koepple, cleanliness is key. "We sanitize the toys every night, we spray them down when the teachers leave, we dip them in bleach water at naptime," she said.

Pediatrician Doctor Troy Pequette said kids are the group to watch. He said when little ones get the flu, it can be more intense. "I think the younger they are, the sicker they get with influenza. They don't necessarily get it more often but when they do they get hit harder."

Dr. Pequette said when kids are in close quarters, illness is often inevitable. He said washing hands is the best defense. "Short of putting them in a bubble, that's about it. Washing hands and washing play toys," he said.

Koepple said battling illness is a year-round business for daycares, and keeping things clean is a daily practice. She said, "All year long, there's always a season for something going on."

Dr. Pequette suggests parents get their kids into a doctor as soon as possible if they are feeling ill. He said young children can become dehydrated or not get enough oxygen when they're suffering from the flu.