To address school absenteeism and the H1N1 virus (more often referred to as swine flu), the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department is offering parents some health tips.
According to a press release from the county, healthy children can attend school even if there’s a sick parent or sibling at home. However, at the first sign of illness, County Health Officer Dr. Peter Hasler recommends the child stay home. Children can return to school when their fever has been gone for 24 hours without medicine, and they are ready to participate in classroom activities.
Parents of children with medical conditions that could make them more at risk for H1N1 should contact their health-care providers to discuss their child’s risk and get advice on how to respond to illness.
According to the release, the county and school superintendents have developed plans to address the special needs of medically fragile children, including notifying parents of the importance of vaccines and seeking prompt medical attention, considering protocols for protective isolation and dismissal, and consulting with the Pubic Health Department to assess situations and decide on action steps.
These steps will be taken if a rate of influenza-like illness places the remaining children and staff at risk, or if the absence, due to illness, of critical staff members prevents schools from educating or providing care to the students.
For more information, contact the public H1N1 hotline at 1-888-722-6358 or visit sbcfluinfo.org.
This article appears in Nov 12-19, 2009.