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Emerging Infectious Diseases/Flu - Risk Reduction, Prevention and Intervention

 

Warning: The following guidelines and suggestions use the most up-to-date resources available.  It is each school's responsibility to contact local and international health authorities to obtain the latest information, suggestions, and advice to use in their site-specific planning.

 

Since the chances are increasing that schools might have to respond to a flu epidemic or pandemic, preventative action and education plans should be included in a school's overall emergency action plan.  Proactive efforts to maintain contact with American Embassy RSO and other emergency management organizations is paramount.

  The preparation to reduce risk and enhance potential for intervention includes:

 

          Identifying a pandemic coordinator and/or team with defined roles and  responsibilities

            for preparedness, response planning, and acting as spokesperson to work with public health officials.

 

          Identifying essential employees and others who would be required to maintain school  operations

            during a pandemic to insure their involvement in the process (e.g.,  School Head, Facilities

            Maintenance Head, Board Chair, IT Director, etc.).

 

          Determining potential impact of a pandemic on school-related domestic or international 
            travel (e.g. quarantines, border closures).

 

          Identifying community sources for timely and accurate pandemic information (domestic

            and international) and resources for obtaining counter-measures (e.g. vaccines

            and antivirals).

 

          Establishing an emergency communications plan and revising it periodically.  This plan

            should include identification of key contacts (with back-ups), chain of communications and
            a process for tracking and communicating student, teacher and staff member status.

 

          Developing and disseminating to the appropriate segments of the school community programs and 
            materials covering pandemic fundamentals (e.g. signs and symptoms of influenza, modes of
            transmission), personal and family protection and response strategies (e.g. hand hygiene,
            coughing/sneezing etiquette, contingency plans, at-home care information).

 

          Implementing an exercise/drill to test your plan, and revising the plan as needed.

 

          Establishing policies for a flexible teaching/learning site (e.g. via the internet) and  flexible 
            teaching/learning hours (e.g. staggered sessions).  This can include Virtual School and

            Distance Learning.

 

          Encouraging and tracking annual influenza vaccination for students, teachers and staff.

 

          Evaluating student, teacher and staff access to and availability of mental health and

            social services during a pandemic, including corporate, community and faith-

            based resources, and improving services as needed.

 

          Identifying employees and key community members with special needs, and

            incorporating the requirements of such persons into your preparedness plan.

 

          Establishing policies for employee compensation and sick-leave absences unique to a

            pandemic (e.g. non-punitive, liberal leave), including policies on when a

            previously ill person and can return to work after illness.

 

          Establishing policies for inhibiting influenza spread at school (e.g. promoting

            respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette, and prompt exclusion of people with

            influenza symptoms).

 

          Providing sufficient and accessible infection control supplies (e.g. hand-hygiene

            products, tissues and receptacles for their disposal) in all classroom and office

            locations.

 

          Establishing policies for students, teachers and staff who have been exposed to

             pandemic influenza, are suspected to be ill, or become ill at school (e.g.

             infection control response, immediate mandatory sick leave).

 

          Setting up authorities, triggers and procedures for activating and terminating the

            school's response plan and/or altering the school's operations (e.g. shutting

            down infected areas).

 

          Ensuring availability of medical consultation and advice for emergency response.