The Domestic and International Impacts of the 2009-H1N1 Influenza A Pandemic Global Challenges, Global Solutions: Workshop Summary (2010) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix A1 Technical Report for State and Local Public Health Officials and School Administrators on CDC Guidance for School (K-12) Responses to Influenza during the 2009-2010 School Year
Appendix A1 Technical Report for State and Local Public Health Officials and School Administrators on CDC Guidance for School (K-12) Responses to Influenza during the 2009-2010 School Year
Pages 95-110
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From page 95... ...
The guidance expands upon earlier school guidance documents by providing a menu of tools that school and health officials can choose from based on conditions in their area. It recommends actions to take this school year, suggests strategies to consider if CDC finds that the flu starts causing more severe disease than during the spring 2009 outbreak, and provides a checklist for making decisions at the local level.
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From page 96... ...
The decision to dismiss students should be made locally and should balance the goal of reducing the number of people who become seriously ill or die from influenza with the goal of minimizing social disruption and safety risks to children sometimes associated with school dismissal. Based on the experience and knowledge gained in jurisdictions that had large outbreaks in spring 2009, the potential benefits of preemptively dismissing students from school are often outweighed by negative consequences, including students being left home alone, health workers missing shifts when they must stay home with their children, students missing meals, and interruption of students' education.
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From page 97... ...
This recommendation is based on epidemiologic data about the overall risk of severe illness and death and attempts to balance the risks of severe illness from influenza and the potential benefits of decreasing transmission through the exclusion of ill persons with the goal of minimizing social disruption. Decisions about extending the exclusion period should be made at the community level, in conjunction with local and state health officials.
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From page 98... ...
To lessen the chance of spread ing influenza viruses that are resistant to antiviral medications, adherence to good respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene is as important for people taking antiviral medications as it is for others. Fever-reducing medications, that is, medications containing acetaminophen or ibuprofen, are appropriate for use in individuals with influenza-like illness.
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From page 99... ...
Hand Hygiene Influenza may spread via contaminated hands or inanimate objects that become contaminated with influenza viruses. CDC recommends that students and staff be encouraged to wash their hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing.
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From page 100... ...
Respiratory Etiquette Influenza viruses are thought to spread mainly from person to person in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. This can happen when droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person are propelled through the air and deposited on the mouth or nose or are inhaled by people nearby.
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From page 101... ...
To lessen the chance of spreading influenza viruses that are resistant to antiviral medications, adherence to good respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene is as important for people taking antiviral medications as it is for others. For more information on antiviral medications, see Interim Guidance on Antiviral Recommendations for Patients with Novel Influenza A (H1N1)
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From page 102... ...
Permit High-Risk Students and Staff to Stay Home If influenza severity increases, students and staff at high risk for influenza complications may consider staying home from school while influenza transmis
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From page 103... ...
Students With Ill Household Members Stay Home If influenza severity increases, school-aged children who live with people with influenza-like illness should remain home for 5 days from the day the first household member got sick. This is the time period they are most likely to get sick themselves.
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From page 104... ...
To lessen the chance of spreading influenza viruses that are resistant to antiviral medications, adherence to good respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene is as important for people taking antiviral medications as it is for others. For more information on caring for sick persons in the home, see Taking Care of a Sick Person in Your Home.14 14 See http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance_homecare.htm.
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From page 105... ...
Reactive dismissals might be appropriate when schools are experiencing excessive absenteeism among students or staff, a large number of children are visiting the school health office or being sent home from school during the school day with documented fever, the school is not able to keep potentially infectious people out, or for other reasons that decrease the ability to maintain school functioning. Reactive dismissals might reduce the burden on the local health care system.
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From page 106... ...
Reactive school dismissals are likely to be of shorter duration than selective or preemptive dismissals. Because the goals of selective dismissals (to protect students and staff at high risk of severe illness or death)
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From page 107... ...
To be most effective, these activities must be coordinated at the federal, state, and local levels. • CDC will continue to monitor the spread and severity of influenza ill ness, monitor for changes in circulating influenza viruses that may confer increased severity of disease, identify promising methods for reducing morbidity and mortality, assist state and local health and education agen cies to implement those methods and evaluate their effectiveness, and provide timely updates on new scientific findings as well as additional guidance as the situation warrants.
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From page 108... ...
Often, they also can provide meals, alternative child care sites, transportation, and other services to ease the burden of staying home. Deciding on a Course of Action To decrease exposure of students and school staff to the influenza virus, CDC recommends a combination of targeted, layered strategies applied early and simultaneously based on trends in the severity of the disease, characteristics of the virus, expected impact, feasibility, and acceptability.
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From page 109... ...
Stakeholders will vary from community to community but may include parent representatives, students, local busi ness and faith community representatives, teachers, health care providers, hospitals, community organizations, school nurses, school food service directors, and vendors that supply schools. What is the Process for Working Together?
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From page 110... ...
Are they able to meet the increased demand for care from persons with influenza-like illness? Are local health care providers or emergency departments becom ing overburdened?
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