Dear Parent/Guardian:
The Department of Health recommends the following measures to prevent the spread of influenza in the school population:
Encourage good hygienic practices at home.
- Wash hands often with soap and water, especially after being around someone who is sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a disposable tissue when coughing or sneezing or use your upper sleeve, but do not use your hands.
- Dispose of facial tissues that contain nasal secretions after each use. Wash hands afterward.
- Avoid touching the eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Routinely clean commonly touched surfaces, toys, etc. as recommended.
Reduce the spread of illness.
- Individuals should stay home from school, work, and errands when sick.
- According to the LCPS Student Code of Conduct, students or staff who are sick should remain home until they are fever-free for a full 36 hours without fever-reducing medication.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Talk to your healthcare provider about flu vaccination.
- The single best way to protect against flu is to get vaccinated. All persons aged 6 months and older are recommended to be vaccinated annually, with rare exceptions. It is also recommended that healthy children 2 to 8 years of age receive the nasal spray flu vaccine instead of the flu shot.
- Influenza vaccination is usually 70-90% effective in preventing the flu in healthy persons.
- Receiving flu vaccine later in the season can still provide important protection since flu viruses can circulate as late as May.
- Most individuals will be protected against influenza within 2 weeks after vaccination.
Antiviral medications may be used.
- These may also be used to prevent or treat the flu. Talk to your healthcare provider for more information. Enhance influenza awareness.
- Please see the attached fact sheet on influenza.