School Planning
Overview and General Information
- Novel H1N1 Vaccination Guidance (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Vaccination Guidance for State, Local, Tribal and Territorial Health Officials - Joint Letter to Schools and School Districts Regarding H1N1 Influenza Preparations - June 11, 2009
It is critical for schools to plan to prevent disease transmission and protect students and staff, as well as local communities, from flu infection. Depending on the timing and severity of an H1N1 wave, interventions could include: extra measures to ensure that commonly touched surfaces are disinfected, strict enforcement of exclusion policies for students and staff with flu-like symptoms, or extended school closures. In addition, because schools could be used as vaccine distribution locations, schools should consider how they might accommodate such requests. While all of us want to do all we can to keep students engaged in learning and maintain a sense of normalcy, we need to be ready for whatever the flu season brings. - School Dismissal Monitoring System (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U. S. Department of Education)
Report novel influenza (H1N1)- related school or school district dismissal in the United States via an online form, email or fax. - H1N1 Flu Information (U.S. Department of Education)
Find FAQs and guidance for school leaders. - Guidance on Day and Residential Camps (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Provides general recommendations that apply to all programs and specific guidance that applies to residential programs. - Resources for Colleges and Universities
- H1N1 Vaccine Tort Liability Immunity
The H1N1 vaccine declaration provides tort liability immunity to a group named “program planners.” Program planners can include private sector individuals and organizations, community groups, schools, or businesses.
Food Safety
H1N1 flu and seasonal flu are not spread by food, whether it is raw or cooked. It is not necessary to alter cooking times or temperatures for any food product to reduce chances of contracting a flu virus. You CANNOT get H1N1 flu from eating pork or pork products.- Food Safety and Supply Frequently Asked Questions
- Safety of Fresh Pork…from Farm to Table (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
- Ham and Food Safety (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
- Keep Food Safe: Meat (FoodSafety.gov)
A food worker with the flu does NOT present any risk to the safety of food. However, one of the best ways to reduce the spread of influenza is to keep sick people away from well people. Workers who have symptoms of the flu, such as fever, runny or stuffy nose, coughing, sneezing, sore throat, and muscle aches, should stay home and not come to work until at least 24 hours after their fever has resolved.
Food Handler Frequently Asked Questions
Checklists
Developed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Department of Education, these checklists can assist local educational agencies in developing and/or improving plans to prepare for and respond to an influenza pandemic.
Guidelines, Tools, and Reports
- Legal Preparedness for School Closures in Response to Pandemic Influenza and Other Emergencies (Center for Law and the Public’s Health at Georgetown & Johns Hopkins Universities)
Review of the laws within each state that appear to expressly authorize school closure for extended periods during non-emergencies and declared emergencies. “Guidelines for Responding to the Death of a Student or School Staff” [PDF – 1586KB] from the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Guidelines designed to help school administrators respond to the needs of students and staff after a loss has impacted the school environment.- Control of Pandemic Flu Virus on Environmental Surfaces in Homes and Public Places
Explains what and how to clean and disinfect surfaces to help prevent the spread of pandemic influenza. 
The Next Flu Pandemic: What to Expect (PDF - 226.83 KB); (DOC - 47 KB)
CDC guidelines on actions, designed primarily to reduce contact between people, that community government and health officials can take to try to limit the spread of infection should a pandemic flu develop. Appendixes 5, 6, and 7 contain information for childcare programs, elementary schools, and colleges and universities.- Interim Public Health Guidance for the Use of Facemasks and Respirators in Non-Occupational Community Settings during an Influenza Pandemic (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Provides information on influenza transmission and gives recommendations on when to use masks and respirators in public settings and communities. Gives additional actions to reduce the possibility of infection. - Emergency Planning: Influenza Outbreak (U.S. Department of Education)
Access resources on how to prepare schools and colleges for an influenza pandemic. - Pandemic Planning Examples of State and Local Plans and Planning Efforts (U.S. Department of Education)
The Department of Education has gathered information on state and local pandemic planning efforts to help others begin or refine their pandemic influenza plans. - Pandemic Flu: A Planning Guide for Educators (U.S. Department of Education)
Identifies issues to consider when planning for seasonal flu, a mild or moderate pandemic flu, or a severe pandemic. It tells what a "flu pandemic" is, how influenza spreads, and what can be done to limit the spread of the flu. - Pandemic Flu: A Planning Guide for Educators (PDF - 488 KB) (U.S. Department of Education)
Guidance for educators and school officials focusing on implications of the type of prolonged school closure that is recommended for severe pandemics. Guidance is in question-answer format. - Understanding Avian Influenza Lesson Plan (PDF - 7.42 MB) (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Resource for teaching high school biology students about avian influenza, specifically highly pathogenic H5N1. - No Ordinary Flu
Available in 21 languages. A comic book about an influenza pandemic. It also provides information about the 1918 influenza pandemic. (Public Health – Seattle & King County Advanced Practice Center)
