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H1N1 (Swine Flu) Updates

NYS Dept. of Health

24 Hour Hotline:

1-800-808-1987

November 10, 2009

Today, the Monroe County Health Department announced that the H1N1 vaccine will be available at public clinics on November 19 and 21. These clinics are intended for high priority residents, a group that includes children ages 6 months - 24 years. Details...

October 27, 2009

Letter sent to families with children in school - 10/27/09

We continue to monitor reasons for absenteeism. Most physicians are not testing patients for H1N1 and treatment for H1N1 and the seasonal flu is the same. Students who have a fever and one or more of the following symptoms: cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, fatigue, vomiting and diarrhea are counted as being absent with a flu-like illness. When you call your school attendance line, please include your child's symptoms in your message. This is the only way we can gauge the impact of the flu on our schools. Call every day that your child is absent.

Most people recover from flu-like illnesses without incident. Get medical help right away if you see these signs:

-Fast breathing or trouble breathing

-Bluish or gray skin color

-Not drinking enough fluids

-Not waking up or not interacting

-Being so irritable that a young child does not want to be held

-Flu-like symptoms improve but return with fever and a worse cough

The situation will continue to change. We are in contact with the NYS Dept. of Health, the Monroe County Health Dept. and BOCES and will continue to make decisions to safeguard the health and well being of our staff and students.

September 1, 2009

H1N1 continues to be a concern in all communities. We will use this Web site to provide updates as necessary and we appreciate your cooperation as we work to maintain a healthy and safe environment for all of our students and staff. We continue to receive regular information and support from the NYS Department of Health, the NYS Education Department and the Monroe County Health Department. The links to the left provide up-to-date information from health authorities.

The flu can be easily spread from person to person. Therefore, we are taking steps to reduce the spread of flu in our schools. We want to keep the school open to students and functioning in a normal manner during this flu season. But, we need your help to do this.

Teach your children to wash their hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub. Set a good example by doing this yourself. We have placed posters in our buildings reminding students to wash their hands and to practice good respiratory hygiene.
· Teach your children not to share personal items like drinks, food or unwashed utensils, and to cover their coughs and sneezes with tissues. Covering up their coughs or sneezes using the elbow, arm or sleeve instead of the hand when a tissue is unavailable.
Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. Symptoms of the flu include fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit, 37.8 degrees Celsius or greater), cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, and feeling very tired. Some people may also vomit or have diarrhea.
Keep sick children at home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have fever or do not have signs of fever, without using fever-reducing drugs. Keeping children with a fever at home will reduce the number of people who may get infected.
Do not send children to school if they are sick. Any children who are determined to be sick while at school will be sent home. We will continue to monitor reasons for absenteeism closely. Please be sure to let school know if your child is staying home with flu-like symptoms.
Please let school know if your contact information changes. It is essential that we have up-to-date contact information for each family so that we may get in touch with you if your child becomes ill.

Our cleaning protocols continue to include these procedures:

Regular cleaning is completed throughout the buildings on a daily basis
Classroom door handles, computers, desks, keyboards, and desktops are wiped down with *Alpha HP
All drinking fountains are treated and wiped down with Alpha HP
Soap and paper towels are refilled regularly to assist in proper hand washing
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers have been provided to all offices, nurses' offices, and staff common areas.

Alpha HP is an EPA approved sanitizer: Alpha HP is a one step sanitizer for use on hard, non-porous environmental services in schools, colleges, hospitals, nursing homes, hotels and veterinary clinics.

Please contact your health care provider or your school nurse with any questions or concerns.