The beginning of the cold and flu season is upon us. To prevent
widespread flu in the school, we recommend that your child stay home
from school if experiencing flu or cold symptoms. To decide whether
or not to send your child to school, please consider the following
guidelines:
Consider
keeping your child at home for an extra day of rest and observation
if he or she has any of the following symptoms:
Very stuffy or runny nose and/or cough
Mild sore throat (no fever, no known exposure to strep)
Headache
Mild stomach ache
Definitely keep your child at home for treatment and observation
if he or she has any of these symptoms:
Fever (greater than 99.6 degrees by mouth and your child may return
to school only after his or her temperature has been consistently
below 99.6 degrees, by mouth, for a minimum of 24 hours)
Vomiting (even once)
Diarrhea
Chills
General malaise or feelings of fatigue, discomfort, weakness or
muscle aches
Frequent congested (wet) or croupy cough
Lots of nasal congestion with frequent blowing of nose
To
help prevent the flu and other colds, teach your children good
hygiene habits:
Wash hands frequently
Do not touch eyes, nose or mouth
Cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, use a paper tissue,
throw it away and then wash hands
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Get influenza vaccination each year
Colds are the most contagious during the first 48 hours. A child who
has a fever should remain at home until "fever free" for a
minimum of 24 hours. A child who has started antibiotics needs to be
on the medication for 48 hours before considered non-contagious and
able to return to school. Often when a child awakens with vague
complaints (the way colds and flu begin) it is wise to observe your
child at home for an hour or two before deciding whether or not to
bring to school. Your child should be physically able to
participate in all school activities on return to school.
Keeping a sick child at home will minimize the spread of infections
and viruses in our schools.
Thank
you in advance for helping make this year at school as healthy as
possible. We appreciate your support!!
***IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING VACCINES FOR INCOMING 7TH AND 12TH GRADERS!!
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education have revised the Maine School Immunization Requirements rule to now include meningococcal meningitis disease. These changes further align Maine’s immunization rules with current national recommendations to better protect the health of all Maine people. Meningococcal disease is a rare, but dangerous disease that strikes healthy young people without warning. It can affect all ages, but teens and young adults are at highest risk of getting the disease.
The following changes are effective for the 2018-2019 school year for all students attending a public or private school in the State of Maine:
One dose of meningococcal vaccine MCV4 (serogroups A, C, W, and Y) is required for all students entering 7th grade.
Two doses of meningococcal vaccine MCV4 are required for students entering 12th grade, with a minimum interval of 8 weeks between dose one and dose two. If the first dose of meningococcal vaccine was administered on or after the 16th birthday, a second dose is not required. If a student entering 12th grade is 15 years of age or younger, only one dose is required.
***Your child will be required to have proof of these vaccinations before they are allowed to start the school year.
We are providing you with this information now so that you have ample time to schedule an appointment prior to the first day of the 2018-2019 school year.
It is important for you to know we have had several cases of confirmed influenza this week in our schools. We are asking for your help in the prevention of this contagious disease.
When you question if your child is ill and could possibly have contracted a flu-like illness, please do not send him/her to school. Influenza is highly contagious, and the contagious period in children lasts up to 7 days. Headache, fever, body aches, and respiratory symptoms are symptoms you should look for.
Tips to help protect you and your family from the spread of influenza:
Hand hygiene: you should wash hands or use alcohol hand rubs or gels after being in public or after contact with anyone with a cold or influenza
When coughing, one should turn the head and cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue and promptly dispose of the used tissue; or cough into the inside of the elbow if a tissue is not available.
Avoid taking young children or immunocompromised people into large crowds unnecessarily when influenza is in the community
Avoid close contact (holding, kissing) between infants and anyone who has a cold or the flu
Do not share things that go into the mouth, such as drinking cups, straws, etc.
If people are experiencing respiratory symptoms with a sore throat and/or fever, they should stay home to prevent spread of the infection.
***If you have concerns about your child’s illness, contact your health care provider, request to have your child evaluated and swabbed for the flu.
We appreciate your help in preventing the spread of infection,
Welcome to the new MSAD #52 nursing website. We hope that you explore our page and find some of the links informative and helpful in navigating your child’s health, well-being, and needs throughout the school year. Our goal is to help keep you up to date with current health and wellness happenings within our district. There is a strong connection between a child’s physical, mental, and emotional health to their success in education. We want to help your child strive towards academic excellence through optimal health and look forward to working with you and your family.
So here it goes...a friendly reminder from the nurses. We are having an outbreak of a variety of late winter viral illnesses in our schools. In order to decrease the spread of infection, and control outbreaks, I would like to remind everyone of the 24 hour rules.
THE 24 HOUR RULES
A child MUST be free of fever for 24 hours (without medication to reduce the fever) before returning to school.
Children with Strep infections MUST be on antibiotics for 24 hours before returning to school.
Children MUST be free of nausea and/or vomiting for 24 hours before returning to school.
Our goal is to significantly reduce exposure to illness. Sick children do not perform to their potential in academics or even in after school activities.
We thank you and please call us with any questions.
