H1N1 Information

Dear Families,

With the school year well underway, we want to take this opportunity to review current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MA DPH), and the Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD) regarding the prevention and management of influenza.

As a parent, you want to do everything possible to protect your child from illness.

This fall and winter, two different flu viruses will be in our community: the annual “seasonal” flu virus and the new H1N1 flu virus. As you know, flu can be easily spread from person to person. It’s important to remember that any flu virus can cause serious illness. Statistics show that school children and teens have been the groups most affected by the new H1N1 flu. The need for families to keep sick students home from school has become more critical than ever before.

Much of what we need to do to prevent the flu has not changed since the spring of 2009.
However, there have been some important changes.

Changes:

• The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends all children 6 months to 18 years get the seasonal flu vaccine yearly. Seasonal flu vaccine is currently available at most primary care practices. Have your child immunized against seasonal flu as soon as possible.

• The CDC is recommending H1N1 vaccine for all children 6 months to 24 years of age. The H1N1 vaccine is expected to be available within days. Please consult with your child’s primary care provider to discuss the timing of your child’s vaccination.

• Children with flu-like illness will still have to stay home from school, but for a shorter period of time than last spring. Children should be kept home for at lease 24 hours after they no longer have a fever without the use of fever-reducing medicines like Motrin/Advil (ibuprofen) and Tylenol (acetaminophen). For more information, please click here to download the Flu Symptom Checklist for Families and Schools.

• The DPH has also changed the definition of “fever” to be a temperature of 100.4 degrees or greater.

Things we are doing at BB&N to prevent influenza:

• BB&N School Nurses are monitoring student absenteeism and watching for patterns of increased absences and clusters of potential communicable illnesses.

• We continue to follow guidelines and recommendations made by the CPHD, MA DPH, and CDC, and will notify the community of any changes via this website.

• BB&N has installed hand sanitizer stations in all classrooms and common areas on all of our campuses.

• Faculty, staff, and nurses are encouraging all individuals who are ill to remain home.

• Increased awareness of disease prevention through a variety of age appropriate educational media.

What parents can do:

Be prepared:

• Make certain that you have a working thermometer in you home.

• Teach your children to wash their hands frequently with soap and water. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also helpful. Please encourage your child to use them frequently and especially before eating.

• Remind your children not to share water bottles, drinks, chapstick, or lipgloss.

• Have fever-reducing medications on hand as well as other sick-day supplies.

• Remind your children to cough or sneeze into a tissue or their elbows. Click here to view a great video for your reference:

Know the signs & symptoms of influenza

• When your child feels ill, monitor their symptoms & take their temperature with a thermometer to determine if they are potentially contagious. Temperatures are highest in the late afternoon and evening and lowest early in the morning

• The symptoms of influenza include: fever (usually 100.4 degrees F or more), cough, and/or sore throat. Other symptoms may include: runny or stuffy nose, body aches and chills, headache, and sometimes diarrhea and vomiting.

• Please refer to the Flu Symptom Checklist for Families and Schools.

Keep your ill child HOME

• If your child is complaining of flu-like symptoms, even without a fever, keep them home from school for at least 24 hours to monitor the progress of their illness.

• If your child has a temperature of 100.4 degrees F or higher, he/she must stay at home and avoid contact with others. If your child has asthma or other health conditions, contact your doctor for further advice.

• Our community includes students, parents, siblings, faculty & staff. We have many members who have medical conditions that put them at a greater risk if they become ill with the H1N1 flu virus. We ask that you carefully consider the larger community as you make decisions regarding your child’s return to school.

Consult your child’s school nurse

• Our goal is to keep healthy children in school and learning and have ill children return to school in manner that is safe for everyone.

• From an epidemiologic standpoint, it is essential that we are able to track influenza-like illness in our community. Whenever you keep your child home from school please follow your campus’s attendance procedures. In addition, if your child is home with actual or suspected influenza, it is imperative that you notify your child’s campus nurse. This information will be used to assist in re-entry planning and will be handled with respect for your privacy.

• Please be assured that we will do everything we can to assist your child during his/her recovery process. We are here to help your family in any way possible. We can’t help you unless we know what’s going on.

Stay Informed:

• The CDC has cautioned that the time period for returning to school may be extended beyond 24 hours if the flu season is particularly bad. BB&N Health Services will be updating our community as additional information becomes available. This website page will be a primary source of that information.

• Here are some useful links: