Friday, November 13, 2009

This weekend Multnomah County Health Department is partnering with the Mt. Hood Community
College to hold a public H1N1 vaccine clinic.  In our efforts to focus on protecting those highest at risk for complications from H1N1 illness, this clinic is for people in the following priority groups:

-Pregnant women

-Children less than five years old (6-59 months)

-Caregivers of children under 6 months of age

-People under 64 years of age with chronic medical
conditions

-Healthcare workers

The clinic is first-come, first-served. Adults and children in the current priority groups will be placed at the front of the line.  

Date: Sat, Nov 14 from 10am to 2pm

Location:

Mt. Hood Community College

Allied Health Building

(Kane Drive & 29^th St. entrance)

26000 SE Stark St, Gresham

Please see the Health Department website for complete details and a map to this location: http://www.mchealth.org/swineflu/vaccine.shtml

  September 8, 2009

Dear Parents & Guardians,                                                                                                     

Welcome back! We hope you had a relaxing and fun summer. We are looking forward to seeing your child or children in our classrooms and hallways. Please take some time and review the following information about H1N1(formerly known as "swine flu") and our school policies and practices about H1N1 as well as seasonal flu.

As many of you know, H1N1 flu is currently circulating in Oregon. According to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, so far the largest number of 2009 H1N1 flu cases has been in people between the ages of five and 24. In fact, CDC data also informs us that children and young adults between the ages of birth and twenty-four years are one of the groups at increased risk of contracting H1N1. http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

Portland Village School is taking seriously the existence, potential spread and unknown severity of H1N1 as we move into the fall and flu season. We are following the most recent recommendation from CDC regarding excluding students, faculty and staff with flu-like symptoms from school and school activities.

PVS POLICY ABOUT H1N1 AND SEASONAL FLU

Students, faculty or staff with influenza-like illness MUST stay home and not attend school until they no longer have a fever (without taking medication to reduce fever) for 24 hours. This is our current policy for school members with ANY type of flu symptoms (not just H1N1). Anyone absent due to the flu MUST check in with the front office when he or she returns to school inorder to verify he or she no longer has flu symptoms. If flu symptoms are still present upon return to school, the person will be asked to return home immediately.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES TAKEN BY PVS TO COMBAT H1N1 AND FLU:

These are some of the proactive preventative measures that PVS is taking to prevent the spread of H1N1 and seasonal flu:

• Our teachers are being instructed to send any student they believe is exhibiting flu symptoms to the office in order to assess the student's symptoms and whether they will need to leave school.
• All student desktops, doorknobs and cubbies are wiped down and disinfected weekly.
• Tissues are available in each classroom. Teachers are being asked to regularly remind students to use these resources if the need arises and to wash their hands after blowing noses, sneezing or coughing into their hands.

WE ASK YOU TO REMIND YOUR CHILDREN TO CONTINUE TO PRACTICE THESE ACTIONS EVERYDAY TO STAY HEALTHY AND KEEP OTHERS AROUND THEM HEALTHY:

• Cover their nose and mouth with their elbows when they cough or sneeze or cover their nose and mouth with a tissue when they cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after they use it.
• Wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after they cough or sneeze.
• Avoid touching their eyes, nose, mouth or kissing their playmates: Germs spread that way.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people. Influenza is thought to spread mainly through person-to-person contact and the coughing and/or sneezing of infected people.

Please know that the health of your children and providing asafe, healthy and stable learning environment are of the utmost importance to us. We hope for a healthy and safe school year.

Thank you for your cooperation and your diligence in monitoring the health of your children. If you have any questions, please contact me.

Sincerely,

Ms. Jaffe

jjaffe@portlandvillageschool.org

You can find additional information about H1N1 on the followingsites:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

Oregon Department of Health and Human Services: http://www.flu.oregon.gov/

World Health Organization (WHO): http://www.who.int/en/

Oregon Department of Education flu site: http://www.ode.state.or.us/go/flu

Frequently Asked Questions: http://oregon.gov/DAS/HR/flu.shtml