Defence against daycare: Fend off the winter achoos with must-have child immunizations

On a good day, winter daycare drop-offs can be challenging. There are boots to tie, snow pants to button, missing mittens to find, and toddlers to negotiate with to get out the front door, all before the sun even rises. Throw a flu into the mix and now it’s a party: child caregivers know that daycare, particularly in the winter, quickly transforms into an infinity pool of viruses that take weeks to taper out.

And let’s just admit it: with children being encouraged to share all day long, they do just that... by passing a virus on to their parents. But fret not! There are defences to leverage when being attacked on all fronts. Vaccinating children can help significantly reduce the spread of seasonal viruses at daycare (and having them march into your house, too).

Cold-weather culprits: whooping cough, strep throat, and the flu

Whooping cough (pertussis)

The number of reported whooping cough cases in Canada is jarring: average annual numbers used to hover around 3,000 per year, but 2024 diagnoses alone have surpassed 19,000.¹ There are a few reasons for this: the masking standards during the COVID pandemic reduced the population’s bacterial exposure, which skewed numbers downward. On the other hand, records show that we still haven’t regained pre-pandemic vaccination levels against this preventable disease.²

Pertussis is highly infectious and has a nearly 80% household transmission rate, spread through coughing and sneezing.¹ Consequently, adults, in particular pregnant women and children should both ensure they get vaccinated, infants being the most susceptible population to it.² Left untreated, whooping cough can last weeks, if not months, causing death in severe cases.

Strep throat (group A streptococcus)

Canada’s recorded number of group A strep cases has nearly doubled since 2001, increasing to 5.6 in every 100,000 people in 2021.³ Infection rates tend to peak in the winter, with children under 5 years of age being most susceptible. They may complain of a sudden sore throat, trouble swallowing, and swollen neck nodes, and can even present some of the typical common cold symptoms like a runny nose and a cough.⁴

Primarily diagnosed via a throat swab, bacterial strep can be treated with antibiotics.⁴ There is currently no vaccine to protect against it, so ensure children are washing their hands (especially if they’re sharing toys), and teach them to cough or sneeze into the crook of their elbow.

The flu (influenza)

The seasonal flu is a tricky one; though it presents similarly to the common cold, it can escalate quickly into more acute symptoms.⁵ Peak flu season lasts from November to April, and everyone is susceptible. Stay up to date on your flu vaccines to help curb the spread; children as young as 6 months of age are eligible for the influenza vaccine as well.

There is no way out but through!

To say caring for children in daycare during the winter is the greatest test of patience is an understatement! Protect their health (and your own consequently) by staying up to date on seasonal immunizations and teaching the little ones some basic hygiene tips. Some vaccines don’t stop the spread of viruses but will dramatically reduce the symptoms “from wild to mild,” especially those that replicate frequently (think of the flu or COVID).⁶ If the children you care for do get sick, consider keeping them home if possible to prevent them from spreading illnesses to others.

Learn more about vaccine-preventable illnesses in children by visiting Vaccines411’s Infants & Children Resources page and find a flu vaccinating clinic by using our finder to set up your appointments today.

Brought to you by Vaccines411.ca – know where to go for your vaccinations.

This information should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your doctor. There may be variations in treatment that your physician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.