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Things You Can Do to Stay Away from the Flu

[Announcer] This podcast is brought to you by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC - safer, healthier people.

[Chris] Hi kids! Welcome to CDC Kidtastics Radio! I'm Chris Kidtastic. Today, we’re going to talk about novel H1N1 flu!

[Kidtastics] What?!?!

[Chris] Novel H1N1 flu. You might have heard it called swine flu. It's been in the news a lot.

[Kidtastics] Oh yeah!

[Chris] It's a new flu virus and it's contagious!

[Karmen] What do you mean "contagious"?

[Chris] This kind of flu spreads easily from one person to another. When somebody has it and coughs or sneezes, the germs get into the air and can make other people sick. Ewwwww! Or, if you touch something with flu germs on it and then touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, you can catch it too.

[Caydan] I don't like being sick!

[Chris] Me either! So here are four things you can do to help keep from getting any kind of flu, including novel H1N1 flu.

[Kidtastics] One!

[Chris] We've talked about this on Kidtastics before: wash your hands a lot with soap and water for at least 20 seconds - long enough to sing the 'Happy Birthday' song twice.

[Kidtastics] OK!

[Chris] Rinse your hands and dry them really well with a clean towel or air dryer.

[Karmen] And don't dry them on your clothes.

[Chris] Right! And what if there isn't any soap and water, like at the park?

[Caydan] Use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.

[Chris] Right, again! Just squirt it on your hands and rub them together until they're dry.

[Chris] Always use a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

[Chris] And make sure you throw your tissue in the trash as soon as you use it.

[Karmen] But Chris, what if I don't have any tissues?

[Chris] If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder; not into your hands.

[Kidtastics] Three!

[Chris] Try to stay away from people who are sick. They'll understand. You really don't want to get sick with the flu!

[Kidtastics] Four!

[Chris] If you're sneezing or coughing or if you just don't feel well, tell an adult right away. If you do have the flu, you might have to stay home for a while so you don't make other people sick.

[Kidtastics] Okay!

[Chris] Now you know what to do to help stay away from the flu. Tell everyone you know! Remember, spread the word, not the germs!

[Kidtastics] Yeah!

[Chris] Thanks for listening to CDC Kidtastics Radio. We'll talk to you again soon. Until then... be a safer, healthier kid!

[Announcer] For the most accurate health information, visit www.cdc.gov or call 1-800-CDC-INFO, 24/7.