January 28th, 2012

Important Follow-up Health Information Concerning H1N1 Flu

 

 

 

We need your help to keep our students and staff healthy.

 

If your child or children are sick, they should be kept home from school. Please check your child every morning before sending him or her to school. If your child comes to school with the symptoms of flu as described above, or if your child develops these symptoms once in school, your child will be sent home and needs to remain at home until their symptoms are gone for 24 hours.  

 

If your child has:

Then:

Fever (100 F or 37.8 C) AND either sore throat or cough

 

 

 

Your child may have the flu.

Keep your child home from school and child care until at least 24 hours after their fever is gone (once they have stopped taking fever-reducing medicine.)

Medicines that contain acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin) can reduce fever and relieve pain. As the sick person begins to feel better you may decide to stop giving them fever-reducing medicines. Continue to monitor their temperature until it has been normal (98.7 F or 37 C) for 24 hours. Aspirin should NOT be given to children or teenagers with the flu as this can cause a rare but serious illness called Reye's syndrome.

 

If your child has other symptoms:

Then:

  • Fever alone, OR
  • Vomiting or diarrhea, OR
  • Sore throat or new cough with no fever

Keep your child home from school and child care until fever and non-fever symptoms are gone for 24 hours. If fever is present, follow guidance in box above.

 

If symptoms worsen or persist, call your medical care provider!

 

H1N1 flu is a serious illness. Guidance may change depending on the severity and amount of flu cases that develop. Please call your school nurse if your child is confirmed by a physician with the H1N1 flue virus. This condition must be reported to the County Department of Health.

We will keep you informed as new information becomes available.

 

·   Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) web site: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu

·   United States Health and Human Services website: www.flu.gov

 

 

Thank you for your attention to this serious matter and for helping us to keep our schools as healthy as possible for all students and staff.

 

  Gary Hamilton

  Superintendent of Schools