 |
| H1N1 Resources |
| Frequently asked questions regarding flu-like illnesses in our schools |
| Centers for Disease Control (CDC) H1N1 Virus Information Page |
|
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)- La Influenza Porcina (Spanish language site) |
| NYS Department of Health - H1N1 (Swine Flu) Q & A |
| NY Statewide School Health Services Center - H1N1 Influenza Resources for Parents |
| Albany County Department of Health |
| In addition, New York State has set up a 24-hour, toll-free hotline for your questions: 1-800-808-1987 |
| Additional resources will be added as they become available. |
With continued media attention focused on the H1N1 (Swine Flu) virus, the district is providing this page as a resource for parents and community members seeking facts and information about this strain of the flu virus. (Please see the box at right for links to additional online resources.)
Please keep in mind that this is an evolving situation.
We are receiving support and information on a regular basis from the State
Department of Health, the Albany County Department of Health, the State
Education Department and the State Emergency Management Office.
For suggestions on how to explain the situation to children, visit the NYS
Statewide Health Services Web site.
Posted: October 22, 2009
A message from Superintendent of Schools John W.
McGuire
As expected, we are starting to see cases of
influenza-like illness at all of our schools. Included in that population
are several confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus.
Consequently, some school buildings are seeing higher absenteeism than is
typical for late-October. Please keep in mind that it is not uncommon to
experience student absences at this time of year due to this type of
illness.
We believe the high absenteeism is also due to the fact that our school
nurses are sending more children home during the day when they have flu-like
symptoms, and to the fact that more parents are keeping their children home
at the first sign of illness—for which we thank you. That is exactly what
health authorities are asking everyone to do to help prevent the spread of
both colds and influenza-like illness.
There have been some rumors circulating throughout the district that school
will close because of the number of influenza-like cases. To clarify, at
this time, we are not experiencing numbers of absences that would prompt
school closings.
As a district, we must balance the risk of flu in our buildings with the
disruption that school dismissals will cause in education and in the wider
community. Any future decisions on school closings due to an outbreak of
influenza-like illness will be made in partnership with local and state
health officials. We are continuing our monitoring of absences and will keep
you informed if closings are necessary.
Influenza-like illness or “ILI” is a new term that I would like all staff
and parents to understand since we will be seeing and using it in the coming
months. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and state health departments
are using the term ILI to cover all types of flu, and reminding people with
flu-like symptoms that they should stay home whether their illness has been
diagnosed as a specific type of flu or not.
These symptoms include:
• Fever (more than 100 degrees F)
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny nose
• Muscle pain
• Fatigue
• Chills/shivering
• Nausea/Vomiting or diarrhea
Our best response still remains to follow the
recommendations of the CDC on measures to prevent the spread of influenza
and other illnesses.
Please remember that sharing accurate information—rather than giving way to
rumors—is the best way for us to get through this flu season. Thank you all
for your continued partnership in protecting the health and well-being of
our school community.
Additional information and letters from the district
View the informational flyer and letter (PDF) sent home to all elementary school parents regarding the H1N1 virus (September 2009)
View the informational flyer and letter (PDF) sent home to all middle and high school parents regarding the H1N1 virus (September 2009)
Download an informational flyer (PDF) from the Health, Physical Education and Athletics Department regarding the H1N1 virus (August 2009)
Download the letter from Superintendent John McGuire sent to district residents via the School News Notifier (SNN) service (April 2009)
safety and wellness
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