Stopping the Spread of Germs at Home, Work & School

Learn more in our Flu Prevention Toolkit: Real People. Real Solutions.

Good Health Habits

Avoid close contact.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.

Stay home when you are sick.
If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.

Cover your mouth and nose.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.

• Cover Your Cough
  Stop the Spread of Germs that makes you and others sick.
  

Clean your hands.
Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.

• Clean Hands Saves Lives!
  Tips on hand washing and using alcohol-based hand sanitizers
  
• Wash Your Hands Often
  Fact sheet and video clip from "An Ounce of Prevention Keeps the Germs Away"
  
• Take Action Clean Hands Campaign
  Facts and survey results, educational materials From American Society for Microbiology
  
• Consumer Advice: Clean: Handwashing
  Links to lots of educational materials, including those for schoolchildren. From www.foodsafety.gov
  
• It's a SNAP Toolkit: Handwashing
  Handwashing materials. Part of It's A SNAP program aimed at preventing school absenteeism. From the School Network for Absenteeism Prevention, a collaborative project of the CDC, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Soap and Detergent Association
  
• Handwashing
  Brief facts and quiz questions. From "Food Safety A to Z Reference Guide" part of middle school food safety science program produced by the FDA and the National Science Teachers Association
  

Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.

Stop the Spread of Germs

Healthy habits can protect everyone from getting germs or spreading germs at home, work, or school.

• Be A Germ Stopper: Healthy Habits Keep You Well
• Healthy Habits to Stop Germs at Home, Work and School

At School

• Resources for Schools, Childcare Providers and Parents
  Information on preventing the flu, common questions and answers, and poster materials for schools
  

At Work

• Stopping Germs at Work
  CDC information on stopping the spread of germs at work
  

Printable Materials

• The Flu: A Guide for Parents
• Cover Your Cough
• Germ Stopper Posters