Tulsa World: Santa safety

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Santa safety
Jolly old elf's flu precautions don't involve chimneys

Jayden Perry watches as Santa sprays his hands with disinfectant before the 4-year-old climbs on his lap Thursday at Tulsa Promenade mall. MIKE SIMONS / Tulsa World

By SARA PLUMMER World Staff Writer
Published: 11/20/2009 2:23 AM
Last Modified: 11/20/2009 3:54 AM

Before 4-year-old Jayden Perry climbed up into Santa's lap to ask for a motorcycle, St. Nick sprayed his gloved hands with disinfectant.

It's going to be a common procedure at malls and gatherings where the jolly man visits this holiday season.

Santa, while speaking with children at Tulsa Promenade mall, said he and his helpers are working to prevent the spread of swine and seasonal flu viruses.

"It's not new," he said. "The gloves hold the disinfectant without skin contact."

Health and Santa officials encourage parents to make sure children wash their hands before visiting Kris Kringle and not to bring sick children.

Larry Weatherford, spokesman for the state Department of Health, said hand sanitizer can't hurt, but influenza is spread by airborne droplets.

"A larger concern would be a sick Santa or another child who is coughing in line," Weatherford said. "We continue to encourage people to wash hands as often as they can. If people are coughing, we encourage them to stay at home and out of the malls."

Jayden's mother, LaToya Rolison, said she works in health care and didn't worry about her son visiting Santa.

"People make a big deal out of something that's really nothing," Rolison said.

Ashley Darling, who brought her 1-year-old son, Phoenix Freeman, to see old St. Nick, agrees.

"I'm not too worried about it, but a lot of my friends are," Darling said. "They don't even want to take their kids to the mall."

Shannon Gilbert said she and her 6-year-old daughter, Norah, are trying to be more careful.

"We use hand sanitizer," Gilbert said. "You never know who's got what when they come."

Unlike some other states, Oklahoma now has H1N1 vaccine available to everyone, Weatherford said.

And that includes Santa and his elves.

"All of our Santas are eligible to get the H1N1 flu shot," he said. "That's an advantage we have over other states."

Flu toll reaches 34

Flu deaths have climbed to 34 people in Oklahoma, including one from the seasonal flu, according to health officials.

Oklahoma has opened its H1N1 vaccinations to all people, and officials are encouraging seasonal flu vaccinations as well.

The Tulsa City-County Health Department has a free walk-in H1N1 vaccination clinic from 2 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Expo Exchange Center, 21st Street between Harvard and Yale avenues.

Sara Plummer 581-8465
sara.plummer@tulsaworld.com By SARA PLUMMER World Staff Writer

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	Report Comment Thunder196, Tulsa (11/20/2009 3:11:10 AM) I thought about that the other day and was hoping Santa was taking precautions. Glad to hear they are.
	Report Comment Elusive, Owasso (11/20/2009 4:26:58 AM) Santa is already making visits before Thanksgiving? I always think about the kids that ask for things from Santa each year that he never brings, sad.
	Report Comment FromTheHeart, (11/20/2009 6:23:33 AM) what??? just a minute kid while I disinfect myself. somehow that loses some of the charm and excitement of visiting Santa for me.
	Report Comment Dr. Strangelove, Las Vegas (11/20/2009 7:22:28 AM) You'll shoot your eye out!!!! HO HO HO
	Report Comment ToxicWasteDump, Bixby (11/20/2009 7:23:59 AM) We've all become Adrian Monk.
	Report Comment PhoenixIX, Jenks (11/20/2009 7:36:20 AM) fromthe heart, Good comment ! I am absolutely rofl-ing!!!!!
	Report Comment Basil, Tulsa (11/20/2009 8:33:12 AM) "Hold on, Santa doesn't want to give you any early gifts, like swine flu, kid."
	Report Comment HONES, T-Town (11/20/2009 8:48:50 AM) Basil, I think it's the other way around. He doesn't want a kid to give him any germs. Toxic, I believe you're right. Anyway, spraying cotton gloves.. will that do any good?
	Report Comment AnimalFarm, (11/20/2009 9:28:34 AM) Hand Sanitizer, I have to think that is part of the reason todays kids are sick so much. How can they build up an immunity to any germs if they aren't exposed to any germs? When I was kid we made mud pies and actually tasted them, we played in the dirt all day and ate snacks without washing our hands! I rarely get sick and when I do it lasts all of about 3 days.
	Report Comment believe, (11/20/2009 9:52:40 AM) AnimalFarm-Those Days are Long Gone.
	Report Comment Few Clothes, America (11/20/2009 10:24:43 AM) "I have the detonators. HO! HO! HO!".
	Report Comment AnimalFarm, (11/20/2009 10:28:05 AM) believe-I know they are, but it is sad, don't you think?
	Report Comment Arbythree, Tulsa (11/20/2009 10:28:46 AM) Maybe Santa should use a little "Magic Dust" that Cheech and Chong referenced long ago.
	Report Comment Mar, Tulsa (11/20/2009 11:07:26 AM) I agree with FromTheHeart.
	Report Comment Mar, Tulsa (11/20/2009 11:10:17 AM) You think they would at least wait until the day after Thanksgiving Day to start Santa and Christmas decorations and HO-HO-HO. Even radio station 92.9 has been playing Christmas music non-stop for the past few weeks, so I quit listening to their station. I love Christmas, but in December! I do one holiday at a time, the next holiday is Thanksgiving. Sadly all the holidays have became retail driven.
	Report Comment Rick222, (11/20/2009 11:57:22 AM) Speaking of Animal Farm, just listened to the audio book the other day, and it's just like the world we are living in today. We can't live in a bubble, you can't kill all the germs in the entire world with a bottle of hand sanitizer and disinfectant spray. Your immune system has to be strong enough to fight off germs itself. We shouldn't be germ crazy, we have all become little Howie Mandel's, being scared of touching people. All we are doing is creating super germs and bacteria. I just wash my hands with normal soap and water, and I don't get sick very often. I take vitamin C every day though.
	Report Comment FUTURE WORLD, Tulsa (11/20/2009 1:32:31 PM) A sign of teh times for sure. I waiting to see Santa wearing a medical mask.
	Report Comment Whocanutrust?, (11/20/2009 2:03:47 PM) Who can think about the festivities that surround Christmas in times like these?
	Report Comment true2form, Grand Lake (11/20/2009 3:38:28 PM) You better watch out Your gonna get sick Your gonna get the flu From Old Saint Nick Santa Claus brings Swine Flu to town
	Report Comment true2form, Grand Lake (11/20/2009 4:03:23 PM) 3rd Man: LOL...meet you at the Riesenrad!
	Report Comment AmericanMan, Tulsa (11/20/2009 6:27:07 PM) My Gowd look at the cone head on that kid
	Report Comment FUTURE WORLD, Tulsa (11/20/2009 6:30:37 PM) But his mommy and daddy love him so leave the kid alone.
	Report Comment my view, Sand Springs (11/20/2009 6:45:36 PM) Steps have to be taken to insure the safety of our young ones, boy it's tough to be a kid today. AmericanMan, Stop it, that comment was cruel.
	Report Comment Confucius say, China (11/20/2009 6:48:17 PM) Confucius think AmericanMan had a different kind of cone on his head as a kid. The kind that says "DUNCE".
	Report Comment r0rschach, (11/20/2009 7:07:39 PM) that is the best picture I have ever seen..."Hold on kid, let me spray before your cootie @$$ sits on my lap" and that kid's head looks like one of the creatures from Aliens.

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