Swine Flu Pandemic: How to Avoid Novel H1N1 (Swine) Flu in Schools. Protect Your Child

By schoolnurse

The Novel H1N1 is coming to a school near you. There was a lot of hype in the spring about the Novel H1N1 (formerly called the Swine Flu). No longer called that because people mistakenly thought you could get Swine Flu from pigs.
Experts are preparing for the new flu season and are worried that the Novel H1N1 has mutated into a more virulent strain that could have deadly affects on humans. There is a particular concern for school children. What you should do as a parent to help your child be safe.

Step 1
Immediately teach your child how to do the following!
1. Wash your hands before eating and touching her face (eyes, nose and mouth are the common entry ports for viruses)
2. Cover her mouth when sneezing and coughing. Teach them to use their sleeve or the bend of their elbow to cover mouth when sneezing or coughing.
3. Give tissue paper "Kleenex" to your child to use at school, but they MUST wash hands after using it!
4. Ask if your teach allows use of hand sanitizer in class, if not, question their policy!

Step 2
Teach your child to avoid sick individuals. Those who are coughing and sneezing. Unfortunately this is difficult to do, but if they have even a little bit of awareness it may be helpful for them.

Step 3
Ask your child's teacher if a nurse could come into the classroom to teach good hygiene measures (such as avoiding colds and flu transmission). If the teacher is unaware of anyone to do this do your own investigation and call the health department to see if anyone can do this for the teacher. Of course you have to secure permission from the teacher and school first.

Step 4
When your child gets home from school have her wash her hands before doing anything (including homework).

Step 5
Prepare healthy meals and snacks for your child and have her get plenty of rest. This helps the immune system to be stronger to fend off or fight colds and flu illnesses.

Step 6
As soon as it is available have your child vaccinated against the novel H1N1 virus. The latest news indicates that the H1N1 Vaccine will be out as of the second of third week of October. Your child will also need the regular flu season vaccine which will be available mid-September.

In September the CDC came out with information that the novel H1N1 vaccine will be only one dose. apparently tests have shown that you are pretty much immune after only one vaccine. That is great news! Initially we were told the H1N1 vaccination would be only available as an injection, but now we hear it will also be available as a nasal spray. I, for one, am thrilled, considering it is much easier to administer the nasal spray than an injection to school aged children.
The regular seasonal flu vaccine for school aged children will be the nasal spray (unless your child has a contraindication to receiving this vaccine...it is a live attenuated virus). For young children it will be two doses if it is the first time they are receiving the inoculation.

Step 7
Adults in the home should be vaccinated as well (particularly if there is an infant or an individual with a chronic disease) and use the same hygienic measures to protect themselves. Avoid large crowds during peak flu season (especially for frail individuals or young infants). It is not advisable to take infants or frail individuals to the hospital to visit family or friends. Since many people go to the hospital with the flu it makes since that you may be exposed to the flu just by visiting others. Avoiding people who are infected with the flu is particularly important for those who are immunocompromised, very young infants or frail individuals.