Infections are scarier than any Halloween costume, but not if you’re prepared

We don’t want you to be frightened on Halloween — except for the costumes. The Get Ready campaign can’t prevent Michael Myers or Hannibal Lector from showing up on your doorstep, but we can help prevent you from catching infectious diseases.

 

If you’re not careful, you might be at greater risk of catching infectious diseases such as the flu on Halloween. But fear not — you can help keep those scary viruses and bacteria away if you follow three easy steps:

• Get your flu shot: Halloween falls right in the middle of flu season, which can make you really sick. Flu viruses can spread when someone with the infection coughs or sneezes —and with 41 million trick-or-treaters in the U.S., there’s a lot of people who could infect you.
  
  If you haven’t gotten your flu vaccination yet, you can find a place nearby to get your flu shot online via HealthMap. Just plug in your location and find a place that can give you the immunization you need.
  
  Getting vaccinated against infectious diseases is really important, no matter how old you are. Check out our Get Ready fact sheets for kids (English or Spanish), teens (English or Spanish) and adults (English or Spanish) for more info.
• Wash your hands, cover your cough: Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or into your upper sleeve or elbow if you don’t have one. And before you eat any of your treats, make sure to wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
  
  You might be touching candy bowls, pumpkins or even your best friend’s costumes. Make sure you’re not spreading germs when you do.
   
• Be careful with candy: Those wrappers are on your favorite treats to keep you safe! If you see a piece of candy that isn’t wrapped, stay away from it. Who knows where it’s been? Someone may have gotten some dangerous germs onto it.
  
  Also, if your friend is eating something that looks really delicious, don’t ask for a bite. Get your own! Your trick-or-treat buddy might not be as safe as you are, so avoid sharing food.

Dress up in your meanest, creepiest costumes — but infectious diseases are not only scary; they can be deadly. A few safety precautions can keep them away so you can have a night of spooky fun.