Flu Planning for Schools

As the 2010-2011 school year gets underway, it’s time for school officials to be sure that plans for dealing with a possible outbreak of influenza are updated and communicated.  There are two pieces of good news:

1)  The H1N1 worldwide pandemic has been declared over by the World Health  Organization

2)  The seasonal vaccine developed to protect against flu includes protection against the 2009 H1N1 virus.

Click here for more information.

In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to recommend a three-step approach to fighting flu: vaccination, everyday preventive actions and the correct use of antiviral drugs if your doctor recommends them. Schools can contribute to the successful implementation of that three-step approach by making sure prevention is a priority in school facilities, at school events, and in the educational program for students, staff and parents. Schools can also partner with health departments or others to host school-located vaccination clinics, an effective and efficient means for making it easy for students to be vaccinated.

Resources developed during 2009-2010 that have not been updated are still valid though they refer primarily to H1N1. As resources are updated or as new ones are developed, they will be posted on this website.