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H1N1 Flu: Important Information for Parents, Students, and Employees

Help Prevent the Spread of Flu this School Year: HISD is concerned for the safety and well-being of all students, their families, and employees. We are taking extra precautions to help prevent the spread of the flu virus this school year. We are urging everyone to practice good personal hygiene while taking extra care in cleaning schools and work areas.

Tips for helping prevent the spread of the flu virus:

• Practice good hand hygiene. Wash hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• 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 elbow or shoulder; not into your hands.
• Remain home until fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications, such as Tylenol.
• Always check with your doctor should your child become sick and conditions become more serious.

Important points if your child is ill at school:

• Be sure your contact information is current.
• Children with symptoms such as fever will be removed from class until picked up.
• Parents or guardians are expected to pick up children when contacted by the school.
• No child can return to school with a fever or flu-like symptoms.

If flu conditions become more severe, consider the following:

• Extend the time sick children stay home for at least seven days. If still sick after seven days, stay home until at least 24 hours after symptoms are gone.
• If a household member is sick, keep any school-age brothers or sisters home for five days from the time the household member became sick. Monitor the health of other school-age children for fever and other symptoms.

Follow these steps to prepare for the flu during the school year:

• If you do have a sick child who needs to stay home, plan for childcare if necessary.
• Monitor the health of the sick child and any other children in the household by checking for fever and other symptoms.
• Parents of children who are at a higher risk of serious disease from the flu should talk to their healthcare provider about a plan to protect them during the flu season. Children at high risk include children under 5 years of age and those children with chronic medical conditions such as asthma and diabetes.

Important points for HISD employees: If you develop flu-like symptoms or a fever, please stay home to avoid the possibility of spreading the flu to coworkers and students. Call your doctor. CDC guidelines indicate that ill individuals should stay home until 24 hours after their fever has broken. The district urges teachers and other school-based employees to send a child who appears to have flu-like symptoms to the school nurse.

For more information, contact your school principal, a school nurse, or your supervisor.

Online resources include www.flu.gov and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site.

Contact the CDC 24 hours a day at 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636); TTY: 1-888-232-6348; E-mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov.