EVERYTHING
FOR YOUR FAMILY
Family News
|
||||
|
Most California schools have a practiced plan in place for responding to a major earthquake, campus violence or terrorist attack. Classrooms are stocked with supply kits and teachers are trained on how to care for students. But responding to a highly contagious infectious disease largely hasn’t shown up in disaster plans until now. As the federal government readies for a potential avian flu pandemic, districts are discussing contingencies for a health-related disaster. If Orange County children start contracting a highly contagious form of avian flu before an effective vaccine is administered to the masses, schools could be closing their doors. But the decision won’t be made at the local level. Districts will take their emergency response directions from county, state and federal health management agencies. An example: Capistrano Unified School District has been tracking the many discussions around a possible pandemic and trying to educate district nurses and officials. Jeffrey Bristow, Capistrano’s chief officer of student support, says he is responding to the potential threat of H5N1 infecting humans by keeping his staff trained and alert. Besides that, all they can do is wait for further directions from health officials. “There is a possibility that we would be told the schools would be shut down until such a time as a pandemic is passed,” Bristow says. “Our approach is to be informed and be on top of the most recent information. There’s not a whole lot we can do beyond what we do normally to prevent transmission of diseases.” That means encouraging children as early as kindergarten to wash their hands frequently. It also means being alert for signs of infectious disease in a community, such as rise in absences, and swiftly alerting city and county officials. The actual probability of a pandemic is still hotly debated, with many scientists in disagreement. Bristow recently reported to Capistrano trustees that the likelihood of an avian flu crisis went from a low likelihood five years ago to middle-range probability today. By Jennifer Leuer |
||||
RSS Subscribe
Digg This ArticleSEARCH THE SITE
