Sean Chrapko, age 7, receives a flu shot from nurse Nicki Sabin RN at a 'Boo to the Flu' event... 
(Courtesy The Clorox Company)As parents can tell when bundling up their child before they head out to trick or treat, a chillier season has arrived. And with cold comes the flu season, when more time spent indoors means more opportunities for the virus to spread.
Some pediatricians have had their shipment of flu vaccines for almost two months, and other organizations are pushing influenza prevention through vaccination as well. One of these, Say Boo to the Flu, ties its efforts to Halloween -- having children dress up in costume for a night of games where they and their families can get flu shots.
Fortunately, Halloween doesn't seem to be a major source of flu-related illnesses. Children following typical healthy advice, like like washing their hands before digging into their cornucopias of candy, can expect to avoid any long-lasting effects from what might be their favorite night of the year.
The flu virus may already have reached your neighborhood, but even if your neighbors have it, it isn't likely to be passed on by what they hand out. So, while candy should be checked to make sure it is unopened, don't go overboard by washing candy wrappers.
"It would be a relatively unusual way to get flu," said Dr. Lindsey Grossman, head of pediatrics at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass. "Usually, someone would have needed to sneeze or cough right on the wrapper."
But because of the season, it probably isn't too soon to start thinking of other ways to help your children avoid the flu. With that in mind, we present 10 ways you can help children avoid catching the flu.
Visit the OnCall+ Cold & Flu Center
One important thing to note is that anti-virals, which can shorten the length of a flu, can be given to children a year of age or older but must be administered within 48 hours of the start of symptoms. So, as with adults, if these tips don't help, you may be able to minimize the illness by acting quickly.
Do you have more information about this topic? If so, please click here to contact the editors of ABC News.
