June 18th, 2010 | 
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When your kids are home for summer, on the road with you or away at camp, use these tips to keep your family safe and healthy.
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Our absenteeism rates have returned to the normal range, but the H1N1 virus and the possible outbreaks of illness among children in school remains a concern. Our district continues to work closely with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department in providing guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus and in planning for the management of any outbreaks of the illness that may occur in our schools.
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The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department recommends measures to prevent the spread of H1N1 (Swine) Flu in schools. Students and staff with flu-like illness (fever with cough or sore throat, head and body aches, chills, fatigue) should stay home and may not return to school until 24 hours after all symptoms are gone. If a student complains of flu-like symptoms during the school day, the parent/guardian will be contacted to take the student home. If you have any concerns about illness in your family, contact your health care provider.
Please remember the best means of prevention for any viral illness include washing hands frequently, covering sneezes and coughs, and avoiding contact with people who are sick. For information about how families can help stop the spread of H1N1 (Swine) Flu, CLICK HERE.
If you would like more information about H1N1 (Swine) Flu, the following resources are available:
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) – www.cdc.gov/swineflu
Washington State Department of Health (DOH) – www.doh.wa.gov
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department (TPCHD) – www.tpchd.org
Washington State law requires that parents/guardians of students in grades 6-12 be provided with information about the causes, symptoms, and methods of prevention of meningococcal disease. This can be a deadly disease, so it is important to know this information.
Meningococcal disease is caused by a group of bacteria that lives in the nose and throat, and the illness is known as meningococcal meningitis. Adolescents and young adults have an increased rate of contracting meningitis, as compared to the general population. Symptoms of the disease may include fever, chills, rash, headaches, confusion, and a stiff neck. The disease is spread through direct contact with infected material, including kissing, coughing, sneezing, or sharing eating or drinking utensils.
The Washington State Department of Health wants you to be aware of this illness and the availability of a vaccine to protect against meningitis. Vaccination can help protect against up to 83% of meningococcal disease occurring among adolescents and young adults. While the vaccine is recommended for children entering middle school (aged 11-12) and high school (age 15), the vaccine can benefit all teenagers and young adults. The vaccine is not required for school attendance.
The Department of Health encourages you to learn more about meningococcal disease and to speak to your child’s health care provider about the immunization. You can also get more information from these websites:
• Washington State Department of Health
www.doh.wa.gov/EHSPHL/factsheet/meningococcal.htm
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Vaccine Information: www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/mening
Disease Information: www.cdc.gov/meningitis/index.html
Washington State law requires that parents/guardians of students in grades 6-12 be provided with information about human papillomavirus (HPV) disease and its vaccine.
HPV is a very common virus that is spread through genital contact. There are many types of HPV, and some types can cause cervical cancer or genital warts. Both females and males can get HPV and easily spread it to others without knowing they have it. Most people with HPV have no signs or symptoms.
There is a vaccine that protects against four types of HPV which cause 70 percent of cervical cancers and 90 percent of genital warts. The federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends the HPV vaccine for all girls entering middle school (aged 11-12), and it can be given to females up to the age of 26 years. The vaccine is available at no cost to parents of girls under the age of 19 years through Washington State’s Universal Childhood Vaccine Program. The vaccine is not currently recommended for boys or men. The vaccine is not required for school attendance.
The Washington State Department of Health encourages you to learn more about HPV disease and to speak to your child’s health care provider about the vaccine. You can also get more information from these websites:
· Washington State Department of Health
www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/Immunize/diseases/hpv/default.htm
· Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The most important thing that you can do to keep from getting sick is to wash your hands often, and teach your child to do the same.
By frequently washing your hands, you wash away germs that you have picked up from other people, or from contaminated surfaces, or from animals and animal waste.
What happens if you do not wash your hands frequently?
You pick up germs from other sources and then you infect yourself when you touch your eyes, or your nose, or your mouth.
When should you wash your hands?
You should wash your hands often because you can not see germs with the naked eye or smell them, so you do not really know where they are hiding.
It is especially important to wash your hands:
- Before, during, and after you prepare food;
- Before you eat, and after you use the bathroom;
- After sneezing, coughing, or using a tissue;
- After handling animals or animal waste;
- When your hands are dirty;
- More frequently when someone in your home is sick.
What is the correct way to wash your hands?
- Wet your hands with warm water and apply plenty of soap.
- Rub your hands together vigorously and scrub all surfaces (backs of hands, wrists, between fingers, tips of fingers, under fingernails).
- Continue for 20 seconds or about the length of time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice. It is the soap combined with the scrubbing action that helps loosen germs and allows them to be washed away.
- Rinse well and dry your hands.
The best way to prevent disease is to wash your hands often!
STUDENTS should not come to school if ANY OF THE FOLLOWING ARE PRESENT:
- Fever – oral temperature of 100° F or greater
- Red, draining eye(s)
- Vomiting within the last 24 hours
- Diarrhea within the last 24 hours
- Rash – Children with rashes should see their health care provider for diagnosis.
- Any symptom(s) causing great discomfort for the student (e.g., severe cough)
A student may return to school after illness under the following conditions:
- Fever-free without anti-fever medication for 24 hours
- No vomiting for 24 hours
- No diarrhea for 24 hours
- Note from health care provider indicating no longer contagious
Encourage or help your child brush their teeth daily to help prevent tooth decay.- Check your child’s teeth regularly. If you see spots or other changes in his/her teeth or gums, call the dentist.
- Offer foods that are low in sugar and high in vitamins and minerals to keep your child’s teeth healthy. Avoid many snacks of sweet or starchy foods such as cookies or crackers. They can cause cavities and are not nutritious. Limit juice to 4 ounces of 100% juice per day. Avoid other sweetened drinks.
- Protect your child’s teeth from injury. Do not let him/her run with anything in his mouth, and encourage helmet safety when riding bikes or scooters.
- Make a family rule to have your child “buckle up” on every car ride. Even a minor crash could injure your child’s teeth.