MANILA, Philippines – Advice to parents: Make it a habit to check your children’s temperature before they leave for school.
With the onset of the rainy season, the Department of Health (DOH) warned against the spread of the seasonal flu or influenza virus, especially among schoolchildren, on Sunday.
Assistant Health Secretary Eric Tayag urged parents to bring children who have flu-like symptoms to the hospital for a checkup.
Classrooms have been identified as one of the most conducive sites for the spread of the flu virus, especially during the rainy season. Children who are gathered close together are highly susceptible.
“To parents, they should make it a habit to check their children’s temperature before going to school because flu is common during the rainy season,” said Tayag, also head of the National Epidemiology Center.
“Let’s bring these children suspected to be carrying the virus to the hospital instead of bringing them to school,” he added.
Seasonal flu, which is different from the pandemic influenza, occurs annually in colder climates and during the rainy season in the Philippines, usually from June to December. It is generally transmitted from one person to another through coughing or sneezing.