DudleyCharlton Regional School District

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Dudley-Charlton Regional School District

• H1N1 Prevention
• and Response
• to advance the knowledge and well being
• of our children and our community.

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Dudley-Charlton Response Participants

• Dudley and Charlton Boards of Health
• Dudley-Charlton Regional School Committee
• Dudley Fire and EMT Service
• Dudley Police
• Charlton Fire and EMT Service
• Charlton Police
• Harrington Hospital
• Local Emergency Planning Board

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PURPOSE

• Review DPH and DESE guidance concerning H1N1 and
  to review surveillance and preventative measures.
• Background Information Current District
  Response
• MPH guidance
• Vaccination information
• Answer questions and comments

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Why the focus on schools?Confirmed Cases of H1N1
Influenza in MA, as of 9/3/09

• 1399 confirmed cases
• Median age 14 yrs
• 63 of confirmed cases 18 years
• 13 hospitalized
• 11 H1N1 attributable deaths
• 36 child deaths in US 80 gt age 5
• Southern US now seeing increase in cases

Percentage of confirmed cases
lt5 5-11 12-18
19-25 26-44 45-64 65 Age Group
in Years
Source Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department
of Public Health
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• Student Education
• Classroom teachers and nurses collaboratively
  planned and delivered lessons on coughing
  etiquette, appropriate hand washing and the
  importance of staying home when sick
• Health and physical education teachers have
  delivered lessons throughout October focused on
  preventative measures to stay healthy
• Coaches are delivering the same message to all
  athletes participating in fall and winter sports
• Schools will display prevention posters in key
  areas such as entrances, cafeterias and offices

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Surveillance

• SPRING 2009
• Student dismissals due to Influenza-like illness
  (ILI) were monitored
• Collaborated with DPH, local boards of health
  concerning confirmed cases and messages to
  families
• FALL 2009
• CDC, state and local boards of health not
  requiring H1N1 confirmation testing
• H1N1 confirmation testing recommended for
  high-risk cases only (e.g. hospitalization)
• Student dismissals due to ILI are monitored
• Weekly review of student/staff absenteeism at
  each building

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DPH/DESE Guidance
H1N1 Symptoms similar to normal human seasonal
influenza ? Fever 100.4 ? Coughing or sore
throat ? Headache/body aches ? Runny or
stuffy nose ? Chills ? Fatigue In addition
to the above symptoms, a number of H1N1 flu cases
reported vomiting and diarrhea.
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DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COLD, SEASONAL FLU H1N1
SYMPTOMS
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• Exclusion period
• Must stay home for 24 hours after no fever and no
  fever-reducing medications.
• Most can expect to stay home about 4 days 3 with
  fever plus one more day
• Fever with influenza can last 2-5 days or more

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VACCINATION GUIDANCE

• H1N1 initial target groups as identified by the
  CDC
• Pregnant women
• Household contacts/caregivers of infants lt 6
  months
• Children and young people, age 6 months to 24
  years
• People age 25 to 64 with certain medical
  conditions
• Health care providers and emergency medical
  services personnel
• VACCINATION AS PROTECTIVE MEASURE
• Seasonal flu vaccination is being recommended for
  children/young people between the ages of 6
  months and 18 years old
• H1N1 flu vaccination is recommended for
  children/young people between the ages of 6
  months and 24 years old
• Participation is voluntary
• The District has partnered with local
  health/safety officials to develop a coordinated
  plan for the administration of vaccine to
  school-age children and families

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QUESTIONS/COMMENTS