H1N1 (Swine Flu) Recommendations for Institutions of Higher Education

On Aug. 20, 2009 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a document containing guidelines for institutions of higher education to follow regarding the spread of the H1N1 (Swine Flu) virus. Entitled Guidance for Responses to Flu for Institutions of Higher Education during the 2009-2010 Academic Year, the document contains strategies to implement if the disease starts spreading quickly. It also provides a checklist for making decisions and includes guidance for dormitories and residence halls.

The document is one resource from the CDC's H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu):Resources for Child Care Programs, Schools, Colleges and Universities page. The page also provides an online toolkit entitled Preparing for the Flu: A Communication Toolkit for Institutions of Higher Education which contains fact sheets, a poster, a template letter, and a template announcement to use for communicating about H1N1 with students, faculty, staff, and parents.

H1N1 Influenza Vaccine Recommendations

On July 29, 2009 the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met to make recommendations about who should receive the H1N1 vaccine when it initially becomes available. They recommended the following groups receive the vaccine first:

• Pregnant women
  
• Household contacts and caregivers of children younger than 6 months
  
• Healthcare and emergency services personnel
  
• All people from 6 months through 24 years of age
  
• People aged 25 through 64 years of age who have health conditions that might make them more susceptible to medical complications from influenza

Although not expected, if there is a shortage of the H1N1 vaccine, the first three groups above are still targeted to receive the vaccine, but the last two groups change to:

• Children 6 months through 4 years of age
  
• Children 5 through 18 years of age who have chronic medical conditions.

For more information about the rationale behind selecting these groups, see the H1N1 vaccination recommendations press release.

The CDC stresses that this vaccine is not a substitute for the seasonal flu vaccine. Both may be administered on the same day.

Swine (H1N1) Flu

Local, state, national and international agencies have organized resources to keep the public well informed about swine flu.
Local
Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services (HCPHES) has created a Swine and Pandemic Flu Resources page to provide information for businesses, healthcare providers, first responders, educators, and the public.

State
The Texas Department of Health Services also has an extensive listing of resources on its swine flu page including information for professionals and news releases about precautions such as school closures.

National
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a wide variety of frequently updated multi-media links about flu/swine flu (now called by them H1N1 flu).

International
The World Health Organization provides constant updates about the threat of an influenza pandemic.

Commercial Vendors
EBSCO Publishing announced that its DynaMed is providing free swine flu information to health care providers and institutions throughout the world. DynaMed's Swine Influenza resource helps medical care providers stay current "with recommendations for monitoring, diagonosing, and treating patients with flu-like illnesses."
Gale Cengage Learning is providing free access to dozens of eBooks in Gale Virtual Reference Library and to its newly created Swine Flu Portal in Global Issues in Context which is updated daily.

*******************************************************************************
Latest Updates
CDC frequent updates about H1N1 has a comprehensive list of links about H1N1 Virus plus the latest updates including the 5/5/09 update about recommendations concerning closing schools.

*******************************************************************************
5/4/09 Links for special populations/situations in addition to the ones listed several days ago are:
First Responders

• Personal Protective Equipment Guidelines for First Responders
  
• Interim Guidance for Cleaning Medical Emergency Service (EMS) Transport Vehicles during an Influenza Pandemic

Texas and Area Cases

• Cases by Texas Counties
  
• Houston Area school closings provided by newspaper or public radio sources.
  **************************************************************************
  As of 4/30/09 some of the latest links from the CDC include:
  
  • Antiviral Drugs
    
  • Facemasks and Respirators
  • Interim Guidance - Pregnant Women and Swine Influenza: Considerations for Clinicians
    
  
  ***************************************************************************
  The following links are taken from a swine flu information packet annotated and emailed by the CDC to various agencies.
  
  Podcasts/Videos
  
  
  • Swine Flu Video Podcast: In this video, Dr. Joe Bresee, with the CDC Influenza Division, describes swine flu - its signs and symptoms, how it's transmitted, medicines to treat it, steps people can take to protect themselves from it, and what people should do if they become ill.
    
  • All you have to do is wash your hands Podcast: Teaches children how and when to wash their hands properly.
    
  • Ounce of Prevention: Tips and streaming video for parents and children about the steps and benefits of effective hand washing.
    
  • CDC TV - Put Your Hands Together: (Video) Improper handwashing may transmit up to 80% of all infections.
  
  
  Web pages
  
  
  • Swine Flu Key Facts: Provides facts about Swine Influenza
    
  • Swine Flu and You: Provides answers to questions about Swine Influenza
  
  
  
  RSS Feed
  
  
  • Swine Flu RSS feed: Receive automatic updates on Swine Flu from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention right on your desktop or browser.
  
  
  PDFs
  
  
  • INFLUENZA: Pigs, People and Public Health: Public Health Fact Sheet from National Pork Board
    
  • Cover your Cough Posters: Stop the Spread of Germs that Make You and Others Sick! ... Printable formats of "Cover Your Cough". Posters only available as PDF files.
  
  
  The CDC also has resources organized especially for children in schools and child care settings, for health care workers, and for the workplace in general.
  
  Schools/Child Care Facilities
  
  
  • The Flu: A Guide for Parents: Questions and answers about the flu, how to protect your child, treatment, and more
    
  • Preventing the Spread of Influenza (the Flu) in Child Care Settings: Guidance for Administrators, Care Providers, and Other Staff: Flu recommendations for schools and child care providers
    
  • Questions and Answers: Information for Schools: Printable version of answers to questions commonly asked by school administrators, teachers, staff, and parents
    
  • Protecting Against the Flu: Advice for Caregivers of Children Less Than 6 Months Old: Research has shown that children less than 5 years of age are at high risk of serious flu-related complications.
    
  • Stopping Germs at Home, Work and School: Fact Sheet
    
  • BAM! Body and Mind. Teacher's Corner: In this activity, students will conduct an experiment on washing their hands. They will learn that "clean" hands may not be so clean after all and the critical importance of washing their hands as a way to prevent the spread of disease.
    
  • Questions and Answers: Information for Schools: Information about preventing the spread of flu in schools
    
  • CDC - Be a Germ Stopper: Posters and Materials: For Community and Public Settings Like Schools and Child Care Facilities).
    
  • Stop the Spread of Germs: "Be a Germ Stopper" posters and screensavers. Simple reminders for good hygiene for use in classrooms, cafeterias or laminated for bathrooms.
    
  • Cover Your Cough: Access posters and flyers formatted for use in schools.
    
  • Scrub Club: The site features a fun and educational animated Webisode with seven "soaper-heros" who battle nasty villains who represent germs and bacteria. Kids learn the six key steps to proper handwashing through a webisode, handwashing song, interactive games, and activities for kids, and educational materials for teachers are also available to download.
  
  
  Health Care Settings
  
  
  • Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Tools for Professionals: Resources to help hospital administrators and state and local health officials prepare for the next influenza pandemic.
    
  • Patient Education Materials: This season’s materials reflect outreach to high-risk groups, including caregivers and parents of infants...
    
  • Cough Etiquette in Health Care Settings: Tips to prevent the spread of germs from coughing; Information about Personal Protective Equipment Demonstrates the sequences for donning and...
    
  
  Workplace
  
  
  • Seasonal Flu Information for Workplaces & Employees: Resources for Workplaces & Employees
    
  • Workplace Planning: Includes flyers and posters, in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Chinese...