Local Schools Prepare For Swine Flu
PALM DESERT – Inside schools, germs spread fast.
“I tend to call it the petri-dish effect,” says Michaeleen Prest, Desert Sands Unified School District Lead Nurse. “They are close together and it grows together.”
Before it grows out of control, Desert Sands Unified School District leaders meet every morning to discuss the latest Swine Flu information.
“We talk about schools, absences, employee absences and any issues that might come up,” says Elka Kelly Parker, DSUSD Student Support Services.
The hot topic now is the Swine Flu vaccine. DSUSD leaders encourage students and teachers to get it.
“You need to build prevention and an immunity so we can curb the spread,” says Prest.
There are no immediate plans for the district to give the vaccine, but leaders are helping parents find places that will.
“We are setting up information on our website, preparing materials at the schools and sending information to the parents,” says Kelly Parker.
District leaders are keeping a close eye on your children’s health. If any student comes in with flu like symptoms, nurses fill out a form and send it to the Riverside County Health Department.
They’re looking out for unusually high absences or clusters.
“We are trying to monitor where kids are absent to get a sense of where the flu is migrating,” saysParker.
To stop the spread of the swine flu, students with flu-like symptoms are sent home.
“Children can’t return to school unless they are fever free without medication for 24 hours,” says Prest.
Rules and reminders teach simple lessons so students don’t learn the hard way.
“Personal health and habits go a long way to a healthier tomorrow,” says Prest.
DSUSD says children and teachers have reported having the swine flu. This year, the health department does not recommend closing schools due to the swine flu, like they did this spring when the swine flu first appeared. Instead, sick students and teachers must stay home.
