March is Germs Month!
Do you know all of the amazing facts about these little tiny things that can cause you to be sick?
Are you washing your hands correctly? Are you washing your hands at the right times?
Answers to all of these questions and more are here ready for you. So, get ready to test your germ knowledge!
Let’s see how much you know about germs. What are germs? Germs are more scientifically, microbes. There is more than one type of microbe out there. Viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa all qualify.
Do you know how to prevent germs from infecting you? (Think hard and then check your answers at the bottom of the page.)
Good Guys vs. Bad Guys
The good guys The players in the immune system include:
- Lymph — a clear fluid that travels through the lymphatic system and carries cells that help fight infections and other diseases.
- Lymph nodes — rounded masses of lymphatic tissue that is surrounded by a capsule of connective tissue. Lymph nodes filter lymph, and they store white blood cells.
- Lymph vessels — thin tubes that carry lymph and white blood cells through the lymphatic system. They branch, like blood vessels, into all the tissues of the body.
- The thymus — an organ in the chest behind the breastbone. T lymphocytes grow and multiply in the thymus.
- The spleen — an organ on the left side of the abdomen, near the stomach. It produces some white blood cells, filters the blood, stores blood cells, and destroys old blood
cel
ls.
- White blood cells — cells are made by bone marrow and help the body fight infection and other diseases. There are lots of types of white blood cells.
- Antigen—a foreign substance that causes a response in the immune system. Antigens can be bacterium, viruses, etc. There's a different antigen for every cold that you've ever had and every type of flower that's ever made you sneeze.
Parents, please share your ideas!
Do you know the vaccine schedule for your children?
Why Are Vaccines Important?
It is true that newborn babies are immune to many diseases because they have antibodies they got from their mothers. However, this immunity only lasts about a year. Further, most young children do not have maternal immunity from diphtheria, whooping cough, polio, tetanus, hepatitis B, or Haemophilus influenza type b.
Immunizing individual children also helps to protect the health of our community. People who are sick will be less likely to be exposed to disease germs that can be passed around by unvaccinated children. Immunization also slows down or stops disease outbreaks.
If a child is not vaccinated and is exposed to a disease germ, the child’s body may not be strong enough to fight the disease. Before vaccines, many children died of diseases vaccines prevent, like whooping cough, measles, and polio. Those same germs exist today, but babies are now protected by vaccines and so we do not see these diseases as often.
CDC
Vaccine Schedule:
Birth to 2 months: Vaccine recommended
- Hepatitis B — doses one and two of three
- Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) — dose one of five
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) — dose one of four
- Inactivated poliovirus (IPV) — dose one of four
- Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) — dose one of four
- Rotavirus vaccine — dose one of three
- Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) — dose two of five
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) — dose two of four
- Inactivated poliovirus (IPV) — dose two of four
- Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) — dose two of four
- Rotavirus vaccine — dose two of three
- Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) — dose three of five
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) — dose three of four
- Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) — dose three of four
- Rotavirus vaccine — dose three of three
- Hepatitis B — dose three of three
- Inactivated poliovirus (IPV) — dose three of four
- Influenza — annual dose
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) — dose four of four
- Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) — dose four of four
- Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) — dose one of two
- Chickenpox (varicella) — dose one of two
- Hepatitis A — two doses
- Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) — dose four of five
- Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) — dose five of five
- Inactivated poliovirus (IPV) — dose four of four
- Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) — dose two of two
- Chickenpox (varicella)- dose two of two
What are Germs?
Germs They're so small you can't even see them. They multiply faster than the clothes that keep piling up on your floor. They're everywhere — they lurk in the water you drink, the food you
eat, and the air you breathe. At this very moment they are in your stomach and on your skin. What's more, they've been around forever. Sound like creatures from a horror movie? Nope! They are germs or, more scientifically, microbes. And there is more than one kind of microbe out there. Viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa all qualify.
Some of them can make you really sick if you're not careful.
Most germs/microbes are harmless, and some even help to keep you healthy. But some can make you very sick. Every day you come in contact with hidden germs, pretty much everywhere you go. Some of their favorite hangouts are bathrooms, kitchens, the cafeteria, and the gym. And those are just the obvious places. They also hide on pencils (remember when you chewed on it?), remote controls or game controllers (like the one you sneezed on last week), phones, pet cages, computer keyboards, stair railings, and doorknobs — pretty much anything your hands can touch.
We know that some viruses and bacteria can live 2 hours or longer on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs, and desks.
Germs can spread when people touch things that are covered with them (like the door handle in a public restroom). These germs get on your hand and spread to other parts of your body when you touch your eyes, ears, or mouth! And they don't stop there — you spread germs when you touch something or someone else. But there is one thing you can do to stop germs in their tracks. WASH YOUR HANDS!
Believe it or not, washing your hands is the single most important thing you can do to keep from getting sick or spreading your germs to others.
How to wash your hands:
1. Take the plunge: Wet your hands under warm running water and apply soap
2. Lather up! Rub your hands together hard to build up lots of soapy bubble. They’ll help scrub dirt and germs away
3. Don’t forget. Washing your palms isn’t enough- make sure you wash hands front and back, get between your fingers, around your wrists, and under your nails for 20 seconds. Try singing a song for 20 seconds to get the timing right.
4. Rinse your hands well in warm water; it will get any last stragglers off your hands and down the drain!
5. Dry your hands completely. Wipe your hands with a paper towel and throw it away after you’re done.
If you can't get to soap and water right away, try carrying an alcohol-based gel in your backpack to use in the meantime.
When to wash your hands:
You should wash your hands after:
- Going to the bathroom
- Helping change your younger sister's or brother's diapers
- Blowing or wiping your nose with a tissue
- Covering your mouth/nose when you cough or sneeze
- Preparing food
- Touching burns, cuts, or sores
- Playing with pets and animals
- Handling dirty dishes, utensils, or touching cabinet tops where food is prepared
- Being around someone who is sick
- Being physically active
- Taking out the garbage
- Handling food
- Setting the table
- Eating
- Treating a scrape, cut, or wound
- Tending to someone who is sick
- Putting in or taking out contact lenses
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