Wash hands often.

Keep hands away from face and mouth.

Stay away from other children and adults with colds and other infections.

Ask friends to visit only when they are well.

Wash hands after coughing or sneezing, and throw tissues in the trash immediately.

If someone in the patient's family becomes ill with a cold or flu, have that person follow normal precautions (use separate drinking glasses, covering his mouth while coughing, etc.).

Avoid playing or working in the soil for 6 months after the transplant. Thereafter, wear gloves.

Avoid handling animal waste and avoid contact with animals that roam outside. Do not clean bird cages or fish or turtle tanks or cat litter. The cat litter box should be covered and taken out of a patient's home before it is changed.

Avoid vaccines that consist of live viruses, such as Sabin oral polio, measles, mumps, German measles, yellow fever, or smallpox. The live virus can cause infections. If a patient or any family member intends to receive any vaccinations, they should notify the transplant team or local physician.