Back To School...& Germs

How to Prepare Your Child’s Immune System (and Your Own) for a Healthier School Year:

As backpacks fill with pencils and notebooks, there's one school supply that of-ten gets overlooked: a strong immune system. Back-to-school means more than just earlier bedtimes—it means daily exposure to a crowd of kids, a flurry of shared sur-faces, and a higher risk of viruses and bacterial infections. While handwashing and hygiene are critical, they’re not enough on their own to keep your child (or you) from catching what’s going around.

The best defense? A well-nourished, resilient immune system—starting now. Most parents wait until the sniffles start before they think about immunity. But by then, the immune system is already playing catch-up. The truth is, immune function is something you need to build proactively.

One study from the Journal of Pediatrics found that kids in daycare or school set-tings experience six to eight colds per year, more than double the average for adults. And speaking of adults—don’t for-get your own immune health: 20% of working parents catch viruses from their school-aged children, often leading to missed work, fatigue, and an immune system that struggles to recover before the next exposure.

Here are two pharmacist-recommended products from Healthy Living Solutions to help your entire family build a better defense this fall.

Organic Kids Immune & Seasonal Support: These chewable tablets (60ct, $17.50) are kid-friendly (ages 4 and up), easy to take, made with real fruit and no artificial dyes or sweeteners, and contain:

Elderberry Extract – Packed with antioxidants and flavonoids, elderberry helps de-fend the body from invading pathogens by enhancing the immune response.

Vitamin C – Critical for white blood cell production, vitamin C helps strengthen the skin’s barrier and internal immune response.

Zinc – Essential for immune cell development and communication, zinc plays a key role in inflammatory response and can help reduce the severity of colds and other respiratory infections in kids.

Immune System Support: Formulated for deeper immune resilience, this supplement (120ct, $46.60) supports both immediate defense and long-term immune health. It’s especially useful for parents, caregivers, teachers, and healthcare workers exposed to illness regularly. It includes:

Vitamin D3 – A deficiency in this “sunshine vitamin” is linked to increased susceptibility to infection. Vitamin D helps activate T-cells, which detect and destroy pathogens.

Astragalus Root Extract – A foundational herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine, astragalus strengthens the immune system by stimulating the production of white blood cells and improving the body’s resistance to stress.

Reishi Mushroom Extract – Reishi enhances immune function and has antiviral, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s particularly helpful in supporting a healthy response to chronic stress, which suppresses immunity.

When to Start: NOW. Building immune strength takes time. Start before the first day of school so your and your child’s defenses are up when it matters most. Now is also a good time to start, because these two products will be 20% off for the month of August!

Don’t let germs write the story. With the right support, your family can thrive—and you can feel confident knowing you’re doing everything you can to keep your family healthy and strong. Visit us today to pick up your immune support essentials.