Fighting the Flu

Dear Parents,
Here is information from the Public Health Department regarding ways to Fight the Flu this season.

We Are Fighting the Flu!

Our school is seeing more cases of flu. With both seasonal flu and pandemic H1N1 circulating at our school and in the community, here are a few reminders about what to do.

• Conduct daily health checks. Before you bring your child to school, check for fever (temperature of 100°F or higher) and any of the following flu symptoms: cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headaches, chills or fatigue.
• If your child has a fever, especially with another symptom, keep them home. If your child just doesn’t look or feel well, and has one or more of the flu symptoms, keep them home.
• Stay home. Children and others with flu-like illness should stay home. Stay home for at least 24 hours after the child is fever-free without using medicines.
• Get your flu vaccines. If you haven’t gotten your child the seasonal flu vaccine – get it now. Once the H1N1 vaccine is available, get that too! Children under 10 years of age will need booster shots.
• Keep up the good health habits. Wash your hands, cover your cough and wash your hands often!

Please remember, at this time the symptoms and severity of pandemic H1N1 and seasonal flu are very similar. Most healthy children and adults will recover from the flu without any special medical attention. Just watch for worsening symptoms and/or difficulty breathing. If that happens, call your medical provider right away.

What to Do When You Think Your Child Has the Flu

If your child has a fever, especially with another symptom, keep them home. If your child just doesn’t look or feel well, and has one or more symptoms of the flu, keep them home. Keep them home for at least 24 hours after being fever-free without using medicines.
Flu symptoms include fever (temperature of 100°F or higher), cough, sore throat, runny/stuffy nose, body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue.

Call or see a doctor if:

• A child is younger than a year old.
• Your child is more ill than you would expect.
• Fever persists for more than three days.
• Symptoms include being weary or sluggish, and the child does not improve after taking Tylenol or Ibuprofen.
• There is an existing chronic illness or some other risk factor.

Go to the emergency department if your child shows any of the following symptoms:

• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish or gray skin color (call 911 immediately)
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Continued vomiting
• Seizures
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

Please remember, most healthy children and adults will recover from the flu without any special medical attention. Just watch for worsening symptoms and if they happen, get to medical care right away.