Packing your hurricane go bag? Make provisions for your health
When you live in a coastal area, preparing early for potential hurricanes is a must. Storms can develop quickly, leaving little time to figure out where you’ll be safe or which items to pack if you have to evacuate. And health care necessities, such as medications or medical equipment, are often overlooked in the scramble.
“People might bring their diabetes medication but forget their blood sugar monitor, or bring their hearing aids but forget extra batteries for them,” says Dr. Scott Goldberg, medical director of emergency preparedness at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a longtime member of a FEMA task force that responds to hurricane-damaged areas.
Here’s some insight on what to expect this hurricane season, and how to prioritize health care in your hurricane kit.Infections are common in children and often lead to illness. At home, children are reasonably well protected from infectious diseases because they come into contact with fewer people than they would at education and care services. The adults they meet are usually immune to many childhood diseases because they had these infections as children or have been vaccinated against them.
Many children first enter education and care services at a time when their immune systems are still developing. They may not have been exposed to many common germs that cause infections and they may be too young to be vaccinated against some diseases.
The way children interact in education and care services means that diseases can quickly spread. Children (particularly younger children) have close physical contact with other children, educators and other staff through regular daily activities and play. They often put objects in their mouths, and even older children are only starting to learn about health and hygiene practices (for example, they may not always cover their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing).