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Preventing H1N1 in Schools, colleges and universities
In California, school districts and universities are on alert and working with health officials to launch education campaigns. Many planned to stockpile medical supplies and discuss worst-case scenarios, including plans to provide lessons and meals for low-income children in case elementary and secondary schools close. University of California campuses are already stockpiling supplies, from paper masks and hand sanitizer to food and water, and are considering screening students for fever when they check into dorms.[52] The CDC has also advised that schools set aside a room for people developing flu-like symptoms while they wait to go home and that surgical masks be used for ill students or staff and those caring for them.[53] To help prepare for contingencies, some medical experts in the U.S. suggest that every county should create an "influenza action team" to be run by the local health department, parents, and school administrators.[54]
The early days of the swine flu outbreak led to numerous school closures in a number of countries. However, as the virus was milder than initially feared, schools reopened and the closures stopped. Among countries that reported school closures were the United States, India, Australia, Honk Kong, Mexico, Guatemala, Argentina, Brazil, and Costa Rica.
Rather then close schools, the CDC recommends that students and school workers with flu symptoms should stay home for either seven days, or until 24 hours after symptoms subside, whichever is longer.[55] If the outbreak suddenly turns severe, additional measures such as school closings would then be considered.[53]
Colleges and universities
In the U.S. the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Education (ED) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have published new guidelines along with a "Toolkit" for Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) to plan for and respond to the upcoming flu season. Government officials are especially concerned because the virus appears to disproportionately affect young people between ages 6 months to 24 years of age, making them one of the top priority groups when it comes to the new H1N1 vaccine.
The new guidelines provide a list of strategies to keep learning facilities open while reducing exposure of students, faculty, and staff. The new guidelines state that the most important actions are to encourage and facilitate good hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes, flu vaccinations for people at risk; and to separate sick people from healthy people as soon as possible. [56]
The CDC recommends that colleges should consider suspending classes this fall if the virus begins to cause severe illness in a significantly larger share of students than last spring. They have also urged schools to suspend any rules, including penalizing late papers or missed classes, or requiring a doctor's note, to prevent students from venturing out while ill.[57]
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