As school returns, so does the cold and flu. Here’s how to prevent the spread.

As students head back to school, parents need to know how to prevent their children from getting sick.

ABC-7 spoke to Dr. Janel Lynch, a pediatrician at University Medical Center, and she says that influenza is the most common illness that begins to spread as students return to school.

Strep throat, and viruses that cause the common cold spread as school starts, as well as RSV, which is a bigger concern for younger kids or infants.

Lynch recommends that children get their yearly flu vaccine by October.

"We definitely see a lot of a lot of decrease in illnesses and then definitely children that have a lot of complications from the flu but would need to be hospitalized," says Lynch. "That goes way down if they do get the vaccine. So we would recommend getting that vaccine for sure, for any kids six months and older."

The doctor says the flu vaccine is normally available around this time of year — mid August to September.

Lynch also shares a few things your child can do to prevent from getting sick:

• Handwashing with just soap and water for at least 20 seconds can help slow the spread.
• One tip is singing the song happy birthday twice to make sure their washing their hands enough.
• If you don’t have soap or water — use hand sanitizer.
• Wipe down surfaces at home, like door knobs, light bulbs, and phones especially.
• Avoid crowded areas.

"If they have a fever, we would recommend that you keep them home," says Lynch.

The pediatrician recommends staying home if your child is sick to prevent the spread at schools, but in severe cases, take them to a doctor.