BoardBuzz wants to remind its readers of an important event taking place on the week of January 10th National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW). But why, you may be asking, as H1N1 seems to being dying down a little and so far, there have been very few cases of seasonal flu?
Well yes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), overall flu activity decreased slightly in the United States during the week of December 20-26, 2009. In addition, the number of states reporting widespread flu activity decreased from 7 to 4. However, the CDC cautions that the flu is unpredictable and its activity can rise and fall throughout the season. The CDC believes the flu is likely to continue for months, caused by either 2009 H1N1 viruses or seasonal flu viruses. And actually, flu-associated deaths among all ages increased from the previous week, although fewer deaths in children were reported compared to the prior week (4 versus 9).
According to the CDC, vaccines are “the first and most important step in protecting against influenza.” And BoardBuzz knows there are many other things schools can do to help combat the flu, for instance: continually spread the message of appropriate hand hygiene to students and staff; clean classrooms, cafeterias, and other school areas thoroughly; and, if deemed necessary, close the school.
Nevertheless, as shown in a new report released by the CDC, there can be negative consequences for the school, students, their families, and the community when it is closed for a certain period of time. As shown in the report, many students meet their nutritional needs through school food programs, and schools provide child care both during and after school. Moreover, schools rely on student attendance to meet federal and state funding and educational requirements.
The report summarizes the results of a survey conducted by the Kentucky Department for Public Health of households whose children attended schools in two adjacent school districts that had been closed because of high absenteeism during an outbreak of seasonal influenza in February 2008. Results indicate that 97 percent of respondents agreed with the decision to close schools. Nevertheless, in 29.1 percent of households, an adult had to miss work to provide child care, and in 15.7 percent of households, at least one adult lost pay because of missed work. In addition, specific information regarding the reason of the school closings was not fully communicated to families.
The truth is that it is always better to prevent a bad situation or disease than have to manage or treat it. And vaccinating against the flu is one way of preventing it. Supplies of the vaccines are increasing and many places have opened up vaccination to anyone who wants it. And schools are usually well positioned to help with these campaigns. In many states (e.g., MD, AL), state health departments are issuing vaccines directly to school-based health centers for distribution and administration because these centers can reach a large audience children, youth and families and they are strategically located.
So get the word out about steps to take against the flu, including vaccinations. And don’t forget to check out the NIVW website. It lists national, regional and state and territorial activities that will be taking place to during the event; and includes posters, brochures, fact sheets, and other materials for use during NIVW; a media toolkit; web tools; influenza campaign articles; resources for health professionals and partners; as well as related links.
Let us know of ways your schools is combating the flu. Leave us a comment!
