With infection rates rising and the H1N1 vaccine in short supply, this Halloween comes with the added scare of swine flu - and Baltimore-area parents find themselves balancing the fun of a favorite holiday with worries about keeping kids healthy.
Bobbing for apples is out for many this year, along with excessive time in crowds. Keepers of the candy bowl are advised to hand children their treats piece by piece, instead of letting the costumed minions help themselves.
Primed to prevent the spread of germs, parents are keeping sanitizer handy, making certain their children wash their hands before and after handling candy wrappers, and saying no to any unwrapped sweets. Some have even sworn off trick-or-treating this year.
At the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, patients usually dress up in costume and make trick-or-treat stops within the hospital. But Patrice Brylske, director of the center's Child Life Services, said this year, because of the H1N1 outbreak, children will remain in their own inpatient units and outpatient clinics, celebrating Halloween there.
"We started to think about this in September; the hospital is always being thoughtful about H1N1 and thinking about procedures to put in place," said Brylske. "We wanted to still celebrate events important to children and be cautious and careful about infection control."
Corianne Frazier of Baltimore took her son Shayki, 3, to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum for Wednesday morning's Toddler Time Halloween Celebration & Costume Parade. She said that due in part to concerns about H1N1, the event would be her son's only Halloween outing this year.
"This is the only trick-or-treating that he's going to do," said Frazier, who added that bobbing for apples is also out of the question.
Even though she had her three children vaccinated at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute two weeks ago, Lori Paine of Baltimore won't let her children try on Halloween masks, a practice that's been quite popular in the past. "I always thought this was gross, but now I am justified."
She also will not allow her children to reach into bowls of unwrapped candy. But otherwise, she wants her kids to go trick-or-treating and have fun this Halloween without worries.
"We can't live in a bubble," she said. "It is important to be smart, but don't go overboard. Keep your risks in perspective."
Most parents say they will allow their kids to trick-or-treat, but will continually stress hand-washing.
