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Bug Out! Get the Facts on Germs

Educating Kids About Emergency Preparedness and Safety

We know that emergencies can happen anywhere and at anytime. That is why it is important to be prepared by making a family plan and having a 72–hour emergency kit that includes items such as food, water, blankets, flashlights and first aid kits.

But do you know that preventing the spread of illness is also important to your family’s emergency preparedness?

To help children and families be prepared, the Emergency Management Unit of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care partnered with the Canadian Red Cross Society to develop Canada’s first-ever illness prevention school-based educational program – Bug out! Get the Facts on Germs.

This program is for school aged children, ages 6-8; 9-11; and 12&13 and is linked to Ontario’s Health and Physical Education and Science and Technology core curriculum. The program is designed so that teachers can teach one or all the activities.

There is also a family program that is rich with resources and includes fun activities for everyone!

The Bug Out! Get the Facts on Germs makes it fun and easy to learn how to prevent illness and to stay healthy. Here are some of the things children, teachers, caregivers and families will learn :

How bacteria and viruses are spread
Hand hygiene
Cough and sneeze etiquette
Staying home when you are sick
Immunization/vaccination
Influenza pandemic (and other historical pandemics and health phenomena)

Your health is important! Knowing about germs and what you can do to prevent the spread illness will help keep children, teachers, caregivers and families healthy and safe throughout the year.

The Bug Out! Get the Facts on Germs school-based program and family booklet are available for download below or visit the Canadian Red Cross Society’s web site.

Please take a moment and send us your feedback on the program.

The American Public Health Association has also created a fun web site called, Get Ready. This site teaches children and families about the flu and how to prevent it. Complete with games and online resources, Get Ready is lots of fun for the whole family and provides important information for staying healthy and safe.

Also, Elmer the Safety Elephant is here to teach kids about the importance of fire safety, railway safety, bicycle safety, internet safety and school bus safety! Check out Elmer’s web site to learn more through fun and games!

To promote pandemic flu preparedness, Public Health - Seattle & King County has developed a 12-page comic book on pandemic flu. Targeting readers of all ages, this story tells the tale of a family’s experience of the 1918 influenza pandemic. It also explains the threat of pandemic flu today, illustrates what to expect during a pandemic (such as school closures), and offers tips to help households prepare.