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Updated H1N1 Flu Information
The CDC reports that no states are reporting widespread flu activity, and that incidences remain low at this time. Lots of vaccine is available for both seasonal flu and H1N1. Our schools continue to partner with local clinics, County Health Depts, and others in this regard. It is possible for a 3rd wave of swine flu to materialize in the spring, but all looks good at present. Continue good hygiene practices to stay healthy and help prevent all contagions, washing hands thoroughly and frequently.
You may have questions – about whether to notify parents/staff/friends of confirmed or probable cases of H1N1 at your site/department, and what to tell parents/staff/friends of parents and staff about whether or not to keep healthy family members at home when another family member has H1N1. So, here’s a quick repeat of what we’ve been told by the CDC and others on these two issues:
Notification - County Public Health would like to “track” the incidence of H1N1 the best they can at this time, and have asked that our nurses give them a ballpark idea of the number of absences attributed to it. So, we do encourage parents to let us know, and we need to make sure that those who take attendance do specifically ask whenever someone calls or sends a note about a sick child, so we can pass that info on to the nurses/health assistants.
As to letting us know - or us notifying others - for “contagion” reasons, no notification is required. Health agencies advise that swine flu is now so widespread that “noticing” colleagues and teachers, parents, etc. has little to no affect, as exposure has probably already occurred from many directions by that time.
Healthy family members - As stated, Health agencies report that the swine flu virus is everywhere, and so keeping healthy children or family members home if someone in the home has H1N1 is like shutting the barn door after the horses are out. Basically, we are all exposed much more often now by grocery carts, public door knobs/handles, the person who sneezed in line at Starbucks, not washing our hands often enough, etc.
The main line of prevention remains frequent and thorough hand-washing, (alcohol-based sanitizer if no water), sneezing & coughing into tissues (or elbows)/not hands, and ‘isolating’ sick family members as much as feasible and disinfecting the things they touch and use. Those things really DO diminish the chances of getting it.
Anyone who wants to check things out for themselves can always access (http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/qa.htm), and find their specific answers under the Prevention and Treatment heading.
- -> Vaccination update - County Public Health is running low on vaccine. The clinic scheduled for this Saturday is still on schedule – until they run out. The clinic scheduled for 11/21 has been cancelled until further notice. (http://www.santacruzhealth.org/SwineFlu/pdfs/H1N1%20Press%20Release%2011-12-09.pdf)
For those who participate thru the services of Salud Para La Gente, they expected to run out early this week also. For information on their school-based walk-in clinics, you may call 818-8398.
Your first resource for medical updates and advice is always your personal physician; check with them for their current status on vaccine.
Contact PVUSD Risk & Safety with overall questions re schools and H1N1, and your nursing team about vaccinations.
FDA NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Sept. 15, 2009
Media Inquiries: Pat El-Hinnawy, 301-796-4763, patricia.el-hinnawy@fda.hhs.gov; Peper Long, 301-796-4671, mary.long@fda.hhs.gov
Consumer Inquiries: 1-888-INFO-FDA
FDA Approves Vaccines for 2009 H1N1 Influenza Virus
Approval Provides Important Tool to Fight Pandemic
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that it has approved four vaccines against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. The vaccines will be distributed nationally after the initial lots become available, which is expected within the next four weeks.
“Today's approval is good news for our nation's response to the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus,” said Commissioner of Food and Drugs Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. “This vaccine will help protect individuals from serious illness and death from influenza.”
The vaccines are made by CSL Limited, MedImmune LLC, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Limited, and sanofi pasteur Inc. All four firms manufacture the H1N1 vaccines using the same processes, which have a long record of producing safe seasonal influenza vaccines.
”The H1N1 vaccines approved today undergo the same rigorous FDA manufacturing oversight, product quality testing and lot release procedures that apply to seasonal influenza vaccines,” said Jesse Goodman, M.D., FDA acting chief scientist.
Based on preliminary data from adults participating in multiple clinical studies, the 2009 H1N1 vaccines induce a robust immune response in most healthy adults eight to 10 days after a single dose, as occurs with the seasonal influenza vaccine.
Clinical studies under way will provide additional information about the optimal dose in children. The recommendations for dosing will be updated if indicated by findings from those studies. The findings are expected in the near future.
As with the seasonal influenza vaccines, the 2009 H1N1 vaccines are being produced in formulations that contain thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative, and in formulations that do not contain thimerosal.
People with severe or life-threatening allergies to chicken eggs, or to any other substance in the vaccine, should not be vaccinated.
In the ongoing clinical studies, the vaccines have been well tolerated. Potential side effects of the H1N1 vaccines are expected to be similar to those of seasonal flu vaccines.
For the injected vaccine, the most common side effect is soreness at the injection site. Other side effects may include mild fever, body aches, and fatigue for a few days after the inoculation. For the nasal spray vaccine, the most common side effects include runny nose or nasal congestion for all ages, sore throats in adults, and -- in children 2 to 6 years old -- fever.
As with any medical product, unexpected or rare serious adverse events may occur. The FDA is working closely with governmental and nongovernmental organizations to enhance the capacity for adverse event monitoring, information sharing and analysis during and after the 2009 H1N1 vaccination program. In the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, these agencies include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Vaccines against three seasonal virus strains are already available and should be used (see information on the seasonal flu). However, they do not protect against the 2009 H1N1 virus (see information on H1N1 flu).
Additional Information
Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent
RSS Feed for FDA News Releases [what is RSS?]
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Dear Parents,
We want all PVUSD families to know that we continually monitor developments of the new influenza (H1N1, also called “swine flu”). We know that there has been confusing information out there. The facts are that millions of people get the flu every year, and millions of people will get the flu again this year – a certain number of those will have H1N1. The symptoms and the level of sickness will likely be very much the same for both types of flu.
There have been recent probable H1N1 cases in our community and schools. If you are told of a “confirmed” case of H1N1, please understand that it is a probable case. H1N1 cannot be confirmed in the doctor’s office, as it takes time to get the results back from the labs equipped to do these specialized tests. We receive regular updates from Santa Cruz and Monterey County Health Services, and closely monitor news & updates from the CDC and the CA Dept of Education. Please be assured that we are taking the situation seriously, and want you to know that at this time the virus does not appear to be any more serious than the seasonal flu that occurs every year, typically in the winter.
We would like to share some information that will help keep everyone healthy:
- If you think your child is ill, please take a temperature. If it is 100° (38°C) or higher, the child should remain home until the temperature is normal (below 100) for 24 hours without fever reducing mediation (this includes any medicine containing acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin). Doctors are telling parents to keep sick children home from school at least 5 days, and/or until 24 hours after the fever has gone away without use of these medications. Call your health care provider and ask whether they want you to come in or would prefer that you treat your child at home.
- Students with a new cough, or bad sore throat, should remain home.
- Students with vomiting or diarrhea must stay home. Please call your medical provider if your child also has a fever or is unable to keep fluids down.
- Teach your family to cough and sneeze into a tissue and then throw the tissue away (or into the elbow area if tissue is unavailable). Coughing or sneezing into our hands passes germs to many other people and surfaces.
- Family members who are ill should stay as separate from the rest of the family as possible.
- All family members need to wash their hands as often as possible, especially before meals, after using the bathroom, and when they have been around lots of people and touched many surfaces.
- Hand sanitizer has been ordered for every classroom and department of the District. [Parents can send extra hand sanitizer and tissues to their child’s classroom as they see fit.]
- Our teachers and staff are very aware and try to ensure that hand-washing is frequent, and our custodians always clean all restrooms, eating areas, and surfaces regularly.
- Do not bring your child to school until he or she is well. When you call the school, please let us know if your child has a fever, as we can use that information to help the Health Department track the spread of flu-like illness.. [If your child is out 3 days or more, remember that a doctor's note is required when returning.]
People of all ages with severe asthma, diabetes, heart conditions, kidney disease, or illnesses that affect their immune system are at increased risk if they get the flu. If your child has a serious health problem, make sure the school is aware of it. If your child is at increased risk and you are concerned about what to do about exposure, follow the steps above and talk to your child’s doctor.
School-aged children are candidates for flu shots (or nasal vaccine) for seasonal flu, and will be on the priority list for the H1N1 when it becomes available. The Health Department will let us know when they have completed their planning for immunization against H1N1 in school children. People with the highest risk from H1N1 will be vaccinated first, and vaccine may be provided for free. We will continue to keep you informed, or you may contact the County Health Department directly at any time.
Healthy children should be in school, and healthy employees at work. We want all our students and employees to come to school every day that they are well. However, if your child is sick, please keep him/her at home and consult your medical provider for instructions.
Sincerely,
Pajaro Valley Unified School District
[more questions: 831/786-2100, ext 2531, or consult the many links to CDC, County Health, and flu.gov on our website : www.pvusd.net]
Previous press release from County of Santa Cruz Health Services regarding schools. Letter to Parents from PVUSD.
The need for a local unified direction on this issue was identified in the spring. As a result, the County Health Department, in conjunction with nursing associations and the Center for Disease Control, have provided updated information specifically for schools. A letter with that information, from the County Office of Education, can be read here: English | Spanish
PVUSD joins the COE in this statement and the recommendations therein.
Additional information: The CDC has in the last few days shortened the exclusion period – the time when a person diagnosed with the flu should stay away from work and school – from 7 days to 24 hours after the fever completely goes away without any use of fever-reducing medications (Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Aspirin, etc.). Since that exact criteria would be very difficult for a school district to ascertain correctly, student by student, we would like to keep the total time period recommendation at 7 days for now. If a doctor has released a patient with the flu for return to work or school, we will of course honor that over any recommendation of our own. Nurses will continue to send home any student with signs of fever. We ask parents and staff to use their best health management practices in determining when it is safest to return to school and work, based on the guidelines available. Our wish is for students and staff to be away from school & work for the shortest time possible, but fully long enough to limit the spread of disease to others. (CDC time period update here: CDC
We would like to join the CDC and Health Advisors across the nation in urging anyone diagnosed with H1N1 flu to stay away from others. We also join with health advisors in recommending ongoing vigilance in covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, putting used tissues in the trash right away, and washing hands thoroughly and often.
Questions re H1N1 vaccine and anti-viral drugs (e.g. Tamiflu or Relenza) can be directed to your family doctor, school nurse, or the District Office. (Much information is available at the CDC’s website, the County Office of Ed, and many others.)
The District also issued an updated statement to the website during the summer which you can read here: Summer Update
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