H1N1 Flu

Recommended school responses for the 2009-2010 school year

Under conditions with similar severity as in spring 2009 - See www.flu.gov for more information.

§                     Stay home when sick: Those with flu-like illness should stay home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever, or signs of a fever, without the use of fever-reducing medicines. They should stay home even if they are using antiviral drugs. (For more information, visit http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance/exclusion.htm.)

§                     Separate ill students and staff: Students and staff who appear to have flu-like illness should be sent to a room separate from others until they can be sent home. CDC recommends that they wear a surgical mask, if possible, and that those who care for ill students and staff wear protective gear such as a mask.

§                     Hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette: The new recommendations emphasize the importance of the basic foundations of influenza prevention: stay home when sick, wash hands frequently with soap and water when possible, and cover noses and mouths with a tissue when coughing or sneezing (or a shirt sleeve or elbow if no tissue is available).

§                     Routine cleaning: School staff should routinely clean areas that students and staff touch often with the cleaners they typically use. Special cleaning with bleach and other non-detergent-based cleaners is not necessary.

§                     Early treatment of high-risk students and staff: People at high risk for influenza complications who become ill with influenza-like illness should speak with their health care provider as soon as possible.  Early treatment with antiviral medications is very important for people at high risk because it can prevent hospitalizations and deaths. People at high risk include those who are pregnant, have asthma or diabetes, have compromised immune systems, or have neuromuscular diseases.

§                     Consideration of selective school dismissal:  Although there are not many schools where all or most students are at high risk (for example, schools for medically fragile children or for pregnant students) a community might decide to dismiss such a school to better protect these high-risk students.

Routine cleaning

The American Academy of Pediatrics provides guidance for school cleaning and sanitizing which is appropriate for influenza. Schools should regularly clean all areas and items that are more likely to have frequent hand contact (for example, keyboards or desks) and also clean these areas immediately when visibly soiled. Use the cleaning agents that are usually used in these areas.  

Our products are from the EPA list of cleansers that kill Type A flu and everyone in the school is taking part in cleaning frequently touched surfaces.

The Texas Department of State Health Services has added Flu Help on the 211 line. To access this information just dial 211.

September 15, 2009, 5:00 PM ET

·         Anyone with asthma is at higher risk for flu-related complications, such as pneumonia. Along with everyone else, if you have asthma you should:

o        wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing;

o        cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and throw the tissue away. If you do not have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder not your bare hands;

o        avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth (germs are spread that way); and

o        stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care.

·         If you have asthma, you should follow an updated, written Asthma Action Plan developed with your doctor. Follow this plan for daily treatment and for controlling your asthma symptoms.

·         If your child has asthma, make sure that his or her updated, written Asthma Action Plan is on file at school or at the daycare center. Be sure that the plan and medication(s) are easy to get to when needed.

·         Everyone with asthma who is older than 6 months should get a shot every year to protect against the seasonal flu. Children aged 6 months to 8 years who never have had a seasonal flu shot will need two doses the first time. Children who have had a seasonal flu shot in the past only need one shot. Persons with asthma should not use the inhaled "FluMist®" vaccine.

·         Everyone with asthma who is aged 6 months to 64 years should get the 2009 H1N1 flu shot when it becomes available. The 2009 H1N1 flu shot is not the same as the shot for seasonal flu. If the H1N1 flu vaccine is in short supply, some persons may not be able to get the shot right away.

·         Certain antiviral drugs are prescription medicines that fight the flu virus by stopping it from growing in your body. They make you feel better faster and may prevent serious flu problems. The antiviral drug Tamiflu (also known as oseltamivir) is recommended for treating 2009 H1N1 virus infection and may be prescribed for persons with asthma. Flu treatments work best if they start within two days of when you get flu-like illness.

·         Persons with flu infections might also get bacterial infections. These persons will also need to take antibiotics to fight the bacterial infection. Some signs of bacterial infection are severe or prolonged illness, or illness that seems to get better but then gets worse.

·         Do not give aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) to children or teenagers who have the flu. This can cause a rare but serious illness called Reye’s syndrome.

·         To learn more about these recommendations and for updates, visit www.cdc.gov/flu/ on the Web or call CDC at 1-800-CDC-INFO.

 Recommendation for the Vaccines

1. Seasonal Flu  

         Children 6 months to 18 years of age                                                                                                                                                             

         Pregnant women

       People 50 years of age or older

       People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions

       People who live in nursing homes and ohter long-term care facities

       People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu

2.  H1N1 Flu

        Pregnant women

        People who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age

        Healthcare and emergency medical service personnel

        Anyone 6months to 24 years of age

        People ages 25 through 64 years who are at high risk because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune system