H1N1 Vaccination Clinics:
The Eastern Highlands Health District is offering this vaccination FREE (no insurance needed). Targeting residents of Andover, Ashford, Bolton, Chaplin, Columbia, Coventry, Mansfield, Scotland, Tolland, & Willington
Who: Pregnant Women
When? PICK THE CLINIC THAT IS BEST FOR YOU **DO NOT REGISTER AT MORE THAN ONE CLINIC ** YOU WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE LIST IF YOU ARE ON TWO! ~ Friday, November 13th 5:30pm to 8pm in TOLLAND ~ Friday, November 20th 5:00 PM to 7 PM in COVENTRY (More details will be provided in the pre-registration link.)
Pre-registration is easy! Find the links on the Health District website at www.ehhd.org Letter to Parents 6.9.09June 9, 2009 To Parents, Students and Staff of Ashford School: In our effort to continue to provide timely updates, I am informing you that there has been a confirmed case of novel H1N1 flu (swine flu) within the Ashford School community. On May 5th, the CDC revised its guidelines concerning school closure. Decisions about school closure will be at the discretion of local authorities based on local considerations, including public concern, the impact of school absenteeism and staffing shortages. As of this date, we are not closing Ashford School. The most important message at this time is not new: Students and adults who are sick should NOT come to school. In particular, stay home if you have flu symptoms: fever and cough or sore throat, sometimes with runny or stuffy nose, body aches, vomiting or diarrhea. To avoid infecting others, please stay home and stay away from others for at least 7 days or until all symptoms have gone away for 24 hours, whichever is longer. Make decisions about when to seek medical care as you would under normal circumstances, and if you have flu symptoms, seek care if you have a fever for three days or more and seem to be getting sicker. Children and adults who are well and without symptoms of flu do not need to be excluded from school or work on the basis of recent travel to an area with novel H1N1 flu or close contact with someone with novel H1N1 flu. However, such persons should closely monitor their health and should not attend school or work if they develop any symptoms. If symptoms develop while at school or work, arrange to return home immediately. Further information, including frequent updates, is available online: Connecticut Department of Public Health H1N1 Flu website: http://www.ct.gov/ctfluwatch Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu Eastern Highlands Health District website: http://www.ehhd.org Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our children and our school healthy. Sincerely, Nancy P. Johndrow, Principal Letter to Parents 6.3.09-updateDear Parents, The incident of Swine Flu is still a concern and I encourage you to review the information presented here on our website. School is very busy at this time of year with numerous activities, field trips, and special events. Please remain vigilant about health issues so that we end the school year with healthy children. At this time, the state and local health departments have advised us that students can continue to attend school, as long as they are not sick and do not have flu-like symptoms. Flu-like symptoms include fever (over 100 degrees F.), cough, sore throat, runny nose or stuffy nose. Additional symptoms that may be experienced with swine flu, includes muscle pain, fatigue, and sometimes vomiting or diarrhea. If your child is experiencing any flu-like symptoms, it is important that he or she remain home until the child has gotten better and has been well for two days. In order to reduce the spread of germs, you should avoid taking your children to public gatherings such as the mall or sporting events while they are sick. If your child has what appears to be a spring cold or virus with low fever, cough and sneezing, this may be treated in the usual fashion with rest and fluids. If the symptoms persist longer or are getting worse, such as shortness of breath, call your physician for advice. Only persons with more severe symptoms who have been in areas that already have swine flu will be tested and if indicated may be treated with antiviral medicines. It is also important to teach your children how to reduce the risk of getting the flu and how to protect others from infection. A one-page fact sheet, Preventing the Flu: Good Health Habits Can Help Stop Germs is attached for your information. General tips for decreasing the spread of germs include: Most important: washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. If water is not available, alcohol-based hand sanitizers can be used. Gels, rubs and hand wipes all work well, as long as they contain at least 60% alcohol. Hand wipes must be disposed of properly. Always read and follow label instructions when using hand sanitizer. Covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze (if a tissue is not available, the crook of the arm). We are consulting with local health officials regarding best cleaning practices for infection control in our buildings should a case of swine flu occur. Please stay informed. For information about swine flu, visit the DPH’s web site at http://www.ct.gov/ctfluwatch/swineflu , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at www.cdc.gov/flu/swine , [LOCAL WEBSITE] or [LOCAL TELEPHONE CONTACT INFORMATION]. Be assured that your school system is monitoring this closely, and will give you more advice as it becomes available. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our children and our schools healthy. Sincerely, Nancy Johndrow Principal Ashford Public Schools Novel H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) InfoUpdated 5/8/2009 Novel H1N1 flu (swine flu): Facts for families of school-aged children What is novel H1N1 flu (swine flu)? Novel H1N1 flu, also known as “swine flu,” is a virus that can spread from people who are infected to others through coughs and sneezes. Novel H1N1 virus is not transmitted from pigs to humans or from eating pork products. What should we do if someone in my family has symptoms? Stay home if you have flu symptoms: fever and cough or sore throat, body aches, vomiting or diarrhea. Please stay away from others until you are better for at least one day so you won’t infect people around you. Make the decision to see a health care provider as you would when you are sick. Do not seek medical care if you are not ill or have mild symptoms for which you would not ordinarily seek medical care. If you feel sick enough to see a doctor, call your health care provider. Why did some schools close? At the onset of this outbreak of a previously unknown influenza virus, we believed it prudent to close affected schools while we learned more about the characteristics of this new illness and the strategy for community measures to prevent illness. The closures have provided valuable time for us to gather information about this novel H1N1 influenza strain in our community. We appreciate the sacrifices families and schools have made to protect the health of the community during this early stage of the outbreak. Will schools continue to close? Schools will no longer be advised to close based on the diagnosis of a probable or confirmed case of novel H1N1 flu. As with seasonal influenza, schools may be closed if larger numbers of students or faculty become ill. School closure appears less necessary given what we are observing about the spread of disease and the severity of illness currently associated with this novel H1N1 strain. My child’s school has reopened but my child just became ill, what should I do? When school re-opens, students and staff with fever, cough or sore throat or other new respiratory illness should not attend school for 7 calendar days after the illness starts or until 24 hours after the illness is over, whichever is longer. How do I protect my children and family from infection? Teach children to: • Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. If soap and water are not nearby, use an alcohol-based hand cleaner. • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or the crook of your elbow when you cough or sneeze. • Try not to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs often spread this way. • Stay away from people who are sick. Where can I get more information? • Connecticut Department of Public Health novel H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) web site: http://www.ct.gov/ctfluwatch • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) web site: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu | Preventing the Flu: Good Health Habits Can Help Stop Germs Fact Sheet 1. Avoid close contact. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too. 2. Stay home when you are sick. Stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. Keep sick children at home. You will help prevent others from catching the illness. 3. Cover your mouth and nose. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. 4. Wash your hands often. Washing your hands and the hands of your children often will help protect you from germs. 5. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. 6. Practice other good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food. |
Health Info/Updates
|