Health Office

Dealing with the H1N1 Flu

The Poway Unified School District is working closely with County of San Diego Public Health Services and the San Diego County Office of Education to monitor and prepare for any H1N1 outbreaks in our community. Working together and with parents, we can make the best decisions about the steps to protect the health of students and staff.

Because all influenza or “flu” viruses can easily spread from person to person, we are asking your help to reduce the spread of flu in our schools. We want to work with parents, students, and staff to keep our schools open to students and functioning in a normal manner throughout the year.

Here’s What Parents Can Do To Help

● Teach your children to wash their hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub. Adults can set a good example by doing this too. Students may bring small containers of hand sanitizer for their own personal use.

● Teach your children not to share personal items like drinks, food or unwashed cups/utensils or cell phones.

● Teach your children to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when they cough or sneeze. Be sure to dispose of used tissues immediately and properly.

● Teach you children if no tissue is available, to “catch your cold in your elbow” by covering mouth and nose with the crook of your arm and sneeze into the shirt sleeve.

● Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. Symptoms of the flu include fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher), cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, and feeling very tired. Some people may also vomit or have diarrhea.

● Keep sick children at home for at least 24 hours after the fever is gone without using fever-reducing drugs. By keeping children home when they have a fever, we can reduce the number of new people who may get infected.

● Do not send children to school if they are sick. Children who are determined to be sick while at school will be sent home.

● Check with your doctor about getting yourself and your children vaccinated for seasonal (regular) flu and H1N1 flu.

Please be assured that our District Resource Nurses are monitoring the situation closely. They are aware of and following the most recent recommendations of the County of San Diego Public Health Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Resource Nurses have directed the Health Technicians at each school site to be vigilant about calling parents and sending home children presenting with flu-like symptoms.

Questions?

Please visit the PUSD website at www.powayusd.com for further information about H1N1. For more information, you may also go to www.flu.gov or call County of San Diego Public Health Services at 619-692-8661. We will keep you updated with new information as it becomes available.