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Holiday travel means reunions, road trips, crowded airports and a big spike in shared germs. Add in school breaks, winter viruses and indoor gatherings, and kids are even more exposed to seasonal illnesses.
Pediatrician Dr. Jordan E. Kridler of Henry Ford Health shares what parents can realistically do to keep kids healthier during travel and family celebrations this December.
Why kids get sick more during the holidays
“With the travel season, they are exposed to a lot more cold and flu illnesses,” Kridler says. Bigger gatherings, busy public spaces, and “crowded indoor spaces are breeding ground for a lot of different infections.”
Your pre-travel checklist
Kridler’s first advice is simple:
- Make sure kids are vaccinated. “Please make sure to get vaccinated for COVID and flu,” she says.
- Practice consistent handwashing. This is the single most powerful habit for preventing the spread of germs. Anytime you’re going in or out of the house, before eating, after touching public surfaces — wash or sanitize.
- Teach young children not to touch everything. Little ones love grabbing handrails, walls, toys and tabletops. Parents may need to help wipe hands or redirect.
At the airport or on a plane
Also, Kridler recommends thinking about high-touch surfaces and enclosed air.
- Wipe down seats and tray tables. Disinfecting wipes are an essential carry-on item.
- Consider masks in crowded indoor spaces. “You’re going to hear different things in terms of wearing masks in airports and airplanes,” Kridler says. “But for kids of the age that they’re able to keep masks on, it’s not going to hurt to wear masks, especially when you’re enclosed with many people.”
What if your child isn’t feeling well, but travel can’t be avoided?
The safest option is always staying home. But if travel is unavoidable:
- Mask up. “Please, please wear a mask,” Kridler says, if you or your child are feeling unwell but have to travel.
- Emphasize hand hygiene. “Be diligent with hand washing and anything you can do to reduce exposure to others.”
- Keep sick kids out of public spaces as much as possible. If your child has a cough or cold symptoms, she urges parents to have a “low threshold” for skipping public events.
During early COVID, she notes, “people were staying healthier because people were wearing masks and paying a little more attention to hand hygiene.”
Keeping your family healthy during holiday gatherings
Illness spreads quickly when cousins pile together, toys are shared and kids run from room to room.
A few gentle reminders go a long way:
- Clean hands before meals and snacks
- Bring a small bottle of hand sanitizer for kids
- Encourage rest if your child seems off
- Make sure kids stay hydrated
Holiday travel will always come with some germs, but with preparation, awareness and healthy habits, families can enjoy the season with fewer sniffles and more celebration.