H1N1 Flu: Awareness, Communication and Preparedness
September 3, 2009
At Milton Academy, we are tracking the facts and official advisories regarding the incidence of H1N1 influenza (commonly called swine flu). Members of our administrative council have met with local health officials, and we are following state and national information and protocol in planning our response should members of the community become ill with the flu. This message is simply an update to assure you that we are taking precautions as well as preparing for any incidence of illness that may occur. The message includes important information relevant to the entire Milton community: K–12, boarding and day.
Fluview, the tracking report concerning H1N1 issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on August 22, 2009 stated that recent “influenza activity remained stable or continued to decline in most areas of the U.S. However, activity appears to be increasing in the Southeast.” The situation changes rapidly, however, and we are closely following the communications and public health policy advisories of the CDC, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MA DPH), and the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as medical authorities from the Town of Milton.
As the situation evolves during the upcoming academic year, we will continue to monitor the trajectory of H1N1 flu outbreak, relying on these official resources, and we will communicate with parents.
As School Opens
Following standard precautionary measures, we have established the following policy for anyone coming to campus:
- If you are diagnosed with the flu, or have flu-like symptoms (fever AND one or more of the following respiratory symptoms: cough, nasal congestion, or sore throat), do not come to campus until 24 hours after your fever has resolved, without fever-reducing medication. This is the current CDC guideline; it is subject to change over time.
- If you have recently been exposed to someone diagnosed with the flu, or to someone who has flu-like symptoms (fever AND one or more of the following respiratory symptoms: cough, nasal congestion, or sore throat), do not come to campus for several days after your exposure.
- If you have been ill or have been at home because of exposure to someone with flu in the last week, you must report to the Health Center before going to class.
If either of these situations prevents you from arriving at School for opening day and registration, please notify the deans’ office (for Upper School), 617-898-2143; or Principal Marshall Carter’s office (for K–8), 617-898-2551.
Personal Precautions
The simple, widely advised measures to protect against the flu are effective:
- Wash your hands often, especially after you cough or sneeze. Wash with soap and water for about 20 seconds. The CDC estimates that 80 percent of all infections are spread by hands. If you can't wash your hands regularly, use hand-sanitizers. (Dispensers are available in many locations around campus.)
- Avoid sharing personal items, such as water bottles.
- Avoid close contact with people if you are sick or if you are concerned that others may be sick. Isolation and avoidance reduce your chances of getting infected or infecting others.
- If you get sick, staying home from work or school and limiting contact with others to avoid infecting them is important.
- Symptoms of the H1N1 virus are similar to those of regular flu: Fever, body aches, sore throat, cough, runny nose, vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy. If you don't feel well, seek medical attention.
Flu Vaccine
At this time, we do not have a supply of the H1N1 vaccine.
School Closing
The CDC suggests that most schools will not need to close even if an outbreak of the H1N1 virus occurs this fall. In addition, government agencies suggest that residential schools consider, as an alternative to closing, the option of suspending classes for a short period of time if necessary.
Our goal at Milton Academy will be to keep the School open. Closing would become a consideration if an outbreak of H1N1 began to cause severe illness, or if the Health Center became overwhelmed with the number of students needing to be isolated.
If a boarding student contracts the virus, or displays flu-like symptoms, the Academy policy will be to isolate that student for the CDC-recommended period of time and provide treatment according to the CDC guidelines. We expect that parents of students living within reasonable driving distance of School will bring their children home for the recommended period of time.
Students who live locally should remain at home for the CDC-recommended period of time.
To help ensure our ability to communicate with parents, all parents should be sure that the School has their emergency contact information. Please check your regular contact information in the online directory and use the feedback link there to correct any errors.
Useful Sites
To learn more about the H1N1 flu virus and the recommendations being made by government health agencies, please visit the Web sites below:
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu
World Health Organization
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
http://publichealth.blog.state.ma.us/h1n1-swine-flu/
American Academy of Pediatrics
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/may09swineflu.htm
Thank you for you taking the time to read this important information. If families have health-related questions regarding an individual student, please contact the Milton Academy Health Center 617-898-2450.
Please watch the Web site for periodic updates on the general H1N1 situation.
Sincerely,
Todd B. Bland
Head of School
