About the flu and students

With the new school year underway, the Department of Health is focused on protecting Pennsylvania’s students from the novel H1N1, or swine flu, virus. While it’s impossible to completely prevent the spread of illness, there are simple steps that every child and adult can take to control it: • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze; if you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your sleeve, not your hands. • Avoid touching your face and especially avoid your eyes, nose and mouth. • Wash hands frequently with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. • Keep frequently used surfaces clean. • Stay at home if you are sick. Students will be a priority group for vaccination when a new H1N1 vaccine is released in October. Although vaccination is not required in order to attend school, I encourage students to receive this vaccine to help protect themselves, their school mates, their teachers, and their families. Parents should talk with their health care provider about whether or not their child should get the vaccine. Remember: individuals with the flu are contagious. Sick children should not go to school. The same applies to teachers and staff. Anyone who is sick with influenza-like illness should stay home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever without the use of fever-reducing medication. In most cases of flu, this means three to five days after the onset of illness. Symptoms of the novel H1N1 virus are similar to those of regular or seasonal flu and include sudden fever and cough with muscle aches, fatigue and lack of appetite. Many people with this infection also have a runny nose, sore throat and watery eyes, and some also have nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. To keep the public well-informed, the Department of Health recently launched www.H1N1inPA.com. The Web site is updated regularly and includes information about the virus and the soon-to-be-released vaccine, prevention strategies, educational flyers and posters, and links to other resources. You may also learn more about preventing the spread of the novel H1N1 virus by calling, toll free, 1-877-PA-HEALTH (877-724-3258). Please practice the prevention tips discussed above and remember to talk to your children about them, too. Together, we can help control the spread of the novel H1N1 flu and keep Pennsylvanians as healthy as possible. Everette James, Secretary of Health Commonwealth of Pennsylvania