December 4, 2009

The Cambridge Department of Public Health and the School Department are working together to make the H1N1 vaccine available to students during the school day.  Today, your child will have brought home a permission form and vaccine information to receive the H1N1 vaccination.  There will be no cost to you for this vaccine.

The vaccine comes in two forms – as an injection (a “shot”) or as a nasal spray mist.  Children who have certain allergies, asthma or other chronic illness, may not be able to get the mist vaccine.  Please take the time to read the “What You Need to Know” information sheet.  After you have read the information sheet, please carefully fill out the consent form.  Do not omit any information.  Your answers on the consent form will determine if nasal spray mist or injection is appropriate for your child.

It is our goal to provide vaccinations to students in every school before the December vacation.   If at any time you change your mind about having your child vaccinated you can notify the school in writing to withdraw consent.  

All signed forms must be returned to school by Friday, December 11, 2009.

September 17, 2009

Dear Families,

As a parent, you want to do everything possible to protect your child from the flu. This is especially important when a new flu virus like H1N1 flu is spreading. As you may know, flu can be easily spread from person to person. It's important to remember that any flu virus can cause serious illness.

This fall and winter, two different flu viruses will be in our community: the annual "seasonal" flu virus and the new H1N1 flu virus. In Cambridge (and the United States), school children and teens have been the groups most affected by the new H1N1 flu.

The goal of the Cambridge Public Schools and the Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD) is to keep healthy children in school and learning, and to protect students most vilnerable to serious illness from flu. The School Department and the Cambridge Public Health Department want to work with you to prevent the spread of flu in our schools and ensure that our schools stay open.

Much of what we need to do to prevent the flu has not changed since the spring of 2009. However, there are some important changes.

• One of the main ways to prevent the flu is by giving children flu shots against both types of flu.
  • Your child can get a seasonal flu shot as soon as possible starting in early September.
  • Your child should be able to get an H1N1 flu shot beginning in October, or as soon as the vaccine is available.
    
    
• Children with flu-like illness will still have to stay home from school, but for a shorter period of time than last spring. Children should be kept home for at lease 24 hours after they no longer have a fever without the use of fever-reducing medicines like Motrin/Advil (ibuprofen) and Tylenol (acetaminophen). For more information, please see the Flu Sympton Checklist for Families and Schools (linked to the right).
  
  Please note: Children who are out sick with flu-like symptoms must not attend any after-school programs or group events until they are well enough to return to school.

The School Department and Public Health Department will also be providing families with the most up-to-date flu information, based on current guidance from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition, we will be monitoring influenza in the schools through tracking daily attendance and dismissals for flu-like illness.

Thank you for your help and cooperation in keeping our children and our schools healthy. Please remember to wash hands frequently and to cover coughs.

Jeff Young
Superintendent
Cambridge Public Schools

Susan Breen, MS, RN
Manager, School Health Services
Cambridge Public Health Department