FROM THE NURSE

See Documents under "Menu" for important notes and reminders from the school nurse. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF HANDWASHING

Handwashing Reminder:

According to the Centers for Disease Control, "Keeping hands clean is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of infection and illness. Hand washing is easy to do and it's one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of many types of infection and illness in all settings. Clean hands can stop germs from spreading from one person to another and throughout an entire community."

So, PLEASE take the time to wash your hands before, during and after preparing food, before eating, before and after caring for someone who is sick, before and after treating a cut or wound, after using the toilet, after changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, after touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste, after touching garbage.

This is a simple thing we can all do to stay healthy and stop the spread of illness

Flu Facts

Flu Facts #1

What is influenza (also called flu)?

The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccine each year. (CDC)

Flu Facts #2

Signs and symptoms of flu

People who have the flu often feel some or all of these signs and symptoms:

  • Fever* or feeling feverish/chills

  • Cough

  • Sore throat

  • Runny or stuffy nose

  • Muscle or body aches

  • Headaches

  • Fatigue (very tired)

  • Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.

*It's important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever. (CDC)

Flu Facts #3

How flu spreads

Most experts believe that flu viruses spread mainly by droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby. Less often, a person might also get flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth, eyes or possibly their nose. (CDC)

Flu Facts #4

Period of contagiousness

You may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick. Most healthy adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick. Some people, especially young children and people with weakened immune systems, might be able to infect others for an even longer time.certain health conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease), and persons who live in facilities like nursing homes.

Flu seasons are unpredictable and can be severe. Over a period of 30 years, between 1976 and 2006, estimates of flu-associated deaths in the United States range from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people. (CDC)

Fun Facts #6

Complications of flu

Complications of flu can include bacterial pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections, dehydration, and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes.

Preventing seasonal flu: Get vaccinated

The single best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccine each season. There are two types of flu vaccines:

  • "Flu shots" - inactivated vaccines (containing killed virus) that are given with a needle. There are three flu shots being produced for the United States market now.

    • The regular seasonal flu shot is "intramuscular" which means it is injected into muscle (usually in the upper arm). It has been used for decades and is approved for use in people 6 months of age and older, including healthy people, people with chronic medical conditions and pregnant women. Regular flu shots make up the bulk of the vaccine supply produced for the United States.

    • A high-dose vaccine for people 65 and older which also is intramuscular. This vaccine was first made available during the 2010-2011 season.

    • An intradermal vaccine for people 18 to 64 years of age which is injected with a needle into the "dermis" or skin. This vaccine is being made available for the first time for the 2011-2012 season.

  • The nasal-spray flu vaccine - a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that is given as a nasal spray (sometimes called LAIV for "Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine"). The viruses in the nasal spray vaccine do not cause the flu. LAIV is approved for use in healthy* people 2 to 49 years of age who are not pregnant.

About two weeks after vaccination, antibodies develop that protect against influenza virus infection. Flu vaccines will not protect against flu-like illnesses caused by non-influenza viruses.

The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the three influenza viruses that research suggests will be most common. (CDC)

Flu Facts #7

When to get vaccinated against seasonal flu

Yearly flu vaccination should begin in September, or as soon as vaccine is available, and continue throughout the flu season which can last as late as May. This is because the timing and duration of flu seasons vary. While flu season can begin early as October, most of the time seasonal flu activity peaks in January, February or later. (CDC)

Flu Facts #8

Who should get vaccinated?

Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine each year. This recommendation has been in place since February 24, 2010 when CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted for "universal" flu vaccination in the U.S. to expand protection against the flu to more people. While everyone should get a flu vaccine each flu season, it's especially important that certain people get vaccinated either because they are at high risk of having serious flu-related complications or because they live with or care for people at high risk for developing flu-related complications. (CDC)

Flu Facts #9

Who is at high risk for developing flu-related complications?

  • Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old

  • Adults 65 years of age and older

  • Pregnant women

  • American Indians and Alaskan Natives seem to be at higher risk of flu complications

  • People who have medical conditions including:

    • Asthma (even if it's controlled or mild)

    • Neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions [including disorders of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerve, and muscle such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy (seizure disorders), stroke, intellectual disability (mental retardation), moderate to severe developmental delay, muscular dystrophy, or spinal cord injury]

    • Chronic lung disease (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] and cystic fibrosis)

    • Heart disease (such as congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease)

    • Blood disorders (such as sickle cell disease)

    • Endocrine disorders (such as diabetes mellitus)

    • Kidney disorders

    • Liver disorders

    • Metabolic disorders (such as inherited metabolic disorders and mitochondrial disorders)

    • Weakened immune system due to disease or medication (such as people with HIV or AIDS, or cancer, or those on chronic steroids)

    • People younger than 19 years of age who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy

    • People who are morbidly obese (Body Mass Index [BMI] of 40 or greater) (CDC)

Flu Facts #10

Who else should get vaccinated?

Other people for whom vaccination is especially important are:

  • People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities

  • People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:

    • Health care workers

    • Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu

    • Household contacts and caregivers of children younger than 5 years of age with particular emphasis on vaccinating contacts of children younger than 6 months of age (children younger than 6 months are at highest risk of flu-related complications but are too young to get vaccinated)(CDC)

Flu Facts #11

Use of the nasal spray seasonal flu vaccine

Vaccination with the nasal-spray flu vaccine is an option for healthy* people 2 to 49 years of age who are not pregnant. Even people who live with or care for those in a high risk group (including health care workers) can get the nasal-spray flu vaccine as long as they are healthy themselves and are not pregnant. The one exception is health care workers who care for people with severely weakened immune systems who require a protected hospital environment; these people should get the inactivated flu vaccine (flu shot). (CDC)