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Santa has a Christmas wish of his own this year: He hopes children and their parents will observe good health etiquette when they visit him.
After all, if there is something no one — including Santa — wants for Christmas, it's the flu.
More than 60 percent of Santas are sneezed or coughed on up to 10 times per day, according to the "Santa We Got Your Back" survey sponsored by Lancaster-based Auntie Anne's in 2006.
According to the survey, about 30 percent of Santas in malls say more than 100 children per day line up to visit them.
That's why the jolly ol' fellow is taking extra precautions to prevent the spread of the seasonal and H1N1 flus and asking his visitors to do the same. These include getting vaccinated, washing hands, using hand sanitizer and staying home when ill.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccinations as a first line of defense against the viruses.
Mike Thomas, 62, of Mount Joy Township — who ascended the former Watt & Shand building Friday and greets children in Binns Park — received a seasonal flu shot. He did not get the H1N1 vaccination.
"I asked my doctor, and they won't have them until December," Thomas said. He will get the shot then, but in the meantime he is not concerned about contracting the swine flu, he said.
The three other men who don the red suit in Binns Park could not be reached last week.
Rick Eggesiecker, spokesman for Santa Plus, St. Louis, Mo., makes sure Santa visits about 170 malls, including Park City Center.
"We always encourage Santa and all of our staff to get flu shots," he said.
The Park City Center Santa did receive a seasonal flu shot. But the 65-year-old bearded man, who did not want his alter ego identified, did not get an H1N1 vaccination because he is not among those at high risk for the virus, he said.
According to the CDC, the risk for infection in people 65 or older is low compared to younger populations.
The Park City Santa isn't worried about exposure to the H1N1 virus, he said. In the 10 years he has suited up, he's been ill only one day.
David Ober, spokesman for Rockvale Outlets, said he didn't know if the two Santas strolling the outlets had flu shots.
Santa will also appear at Willow Valley Resort. But his alter ego could not be reached for comment because he "must be at the North Pole," Sheryl Holzbauer, executive vice president of community relations at Willow Valley, said.
Protecting kidsThough unconcerned for themselves, the Santa at Park City and Thomas, of Binns Park, have taken extra precautions to protect families who visit.
Thomas will have hand sanitizer available for visitors.
Ober said 20 free-standing hand-sanitizer stations are in place to protect visitors and Santa as he strolls around Rockvale Outlets.
At Park City, Santa changes into a clean suit daily and sprays it with disinfectant between each shift. He also changes his disinfected white gloves between shifts.
His helpers have sanitary wipes for credit card machines and other things visitors might touch.
And he has conspicuously placed hand sanitizer by the candy cane poles at the entrance to his court.
But out of 10 children who sat on his knee in a half-hour Tuesday, none used the hand sanitizer. Neither did their parents.
The CDC recommends the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers and frequent hand washing to prevent the spread of either flu.
"I might use the hand sanitizer, but I think it's overblown," Hilary Belz, 39, of Marietta, said at Central Market Friday. She plans to take her children, Jahna, 9, and Simon, 6, to visit Santa in Binns Park.
"Let Santa be Santa on Christmas."
Brooklyn Smith, 4, of East Hempfield Township, visited Santa at Park City Center with her great-grandmother recently. At Central Market Friday, Brooklyn's mother, Chelsie Smith, 27, said she doesn't know if they used the hand sanitizer.
But if Chelsie had been the one to take her daughter to greet Santa, and had seen the hand sanitizer, she would have insisted on its use, she said.
Because she is an emergency medical technician and her husband, Brian Smith, is a nurse, they are fans of hand washing and hand sanitizers, she said.
"Everywhere we see it, it becomes second nature to use it," she said.
But no matter where good little girls and boys visit Santa, he hopes they will follow the CDC guidelines, which advise the ill to stay home until they have no fever without using fever-reducing medications.
"I'm just hoping parents use discretion," Lisa Northeimer, 26, of Columbus, Ohio, said as she shopped in downtown Lancaster Friday. She planned to take her son, Tucker, 2, and daughter Ella, 1, to visit St. Nick in Binns Park that night.
"I know it's Christmas and it's one time a year, but I would hope that the public would keep public health in mind," said Valerie Wagner, special events manager for the Mayor's Office of Special Events.
Santa's visit to Binns Park "runs for four weeks, so it gives you some time to come," she said. "If your child is not feeling well, wait until they're feeling better."
Jeannette Scott is a Sunday News staff writer. Contact her at jscott@lnpnews.com or at 291-8689.
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