Fall 2009 Influenza Guidance for Parents of School-Aged Children issued September 14, 2009

Federal Resources	State Resources	Local Resources
Centers for Disease Control	Massachusetts Department of Public Health	Office of Community Development, Health Division and Board of Health
This web site will be updated regularly as information becomes available at the federal and international level.	This web site will be updated regularly as information becomes available at the state level. In addition, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has A H1N1 Virus (Swine flu) hotline, which has been set up to help answer any general questions about the disease. Call 1-866-627-7968 and dial 1, or simply dial 211 to access the hotline. Weekly Update	This web site will be updated regularly as information becomes available at the local level for the Town of Lexington and the Lexington Public Schools.

• The Seasonal and H1N1 injectable vaccine will contain thimerosal . “Mist” or nasal type seasonal influenza vaccine will be thimerosal free.
• A Family Clinic is defined as an adult or adults accompanied by at least one (1) minor at or under the age of eighteen (18) years of age who wish to be vaccinated.
• A Senior Clinic is defined as an adult at or over the age of sixty (60) years of age who wishes to be vaccinated. We ask that residents sixty-five (65) years and older provide their health insurance card (Medicare or Medicare Advantage plan).

Flu: What You Can Do - Caring for People at Home: Learn about flu prevention, caring for someone with the flu, and preparing for flu season. It is also applicable to a pandemic situation where hospitals and clinics may already be at full capacity.

Flu: What You Can Do Caring for People at Home (33-page comprehensive booklet): To receive a free copy printed please contact the Office of Community Development, Health Division, Gerard Cody, Health Director at 781-862-0500 x 237 or use the links below.

• English version (PDF 1MB) | RTF
• Arabic version (PDF) | RTF
• Chinese version (PDF 1MB) | RTF
• Haitian Creole version (PDF) | RTF
• Khmer version (PDF) | RTF
• Portuguese version (PDF 1MB) | Word
• Russian version (PDF) | RTF
• Spanish version (PDF) | Word
• Vietnamese version (PDF) | RTF

LPS Prevention Efforts:

1. Parents should teach, emphasize, and remind their children about the importance of proper hand washing and cough etiquette in preventing the spread of diseases and to explain why it’s important.
2. The Department of Public Facilities is providing to each school hand sanitizer pump stations in cafeterias, libraries, and computer labs. Lexington Department of Public Facilities’ cleaning protocols are in place for surfaces and items that are more likely to have frequent hand contact using “green” cleaning agents according to their routine schedule.  Once respiratory secretions containing the virus dry out, the virus is no longer effectively infectious. There is no need for special disinfecting or decontamination efforts, and the main focus should be on hand washing and cough and respiratory etiquette.  
3. Please do not send children to school with products that contain bleach or other non-hypoallergenic cleaning agents. We have students with nut and chemical sensitivities that can have adverse reactions to many common household cleaning products on the market.

If You Get Sick or Think You Are Sick:

Flu Symptoms Checklist - Spring 2009 (PDF)
Fever Fact Sheets - Spring 2009 (PDF)
Staying at Home with the Flu: Instructions for Those Who Are Sick and Their Close Contacts - Aug 25, 2009 (PDF) 

Translation of Information:

Portuguese (PDF)
Spanish (PDF)
Khmer (PDF)
Haitian Creole (PDF)
Vietnamese (PDF)
Russian (PDF)
Chinese (PDF)

Education Material is available for Parents, Guardians, and Students about H1N1 Influenza A (Swine Flu) Virus (May 11, 2009)
H1N1 Influenza A (Swine Flu) Virus - LPS Parent Update (May 5, 2009)
H1N1 Influenza A (Swine Flu) Virus - LPS Parent Update (May 1, 2009)

Translation of H1N1 Information:
H1N1 Influenza A (Swine Flu) Virus - Korean Translation (June 9, 2009)
H1N1 Influenza A (Swine Flu) Virus - Russian Translation (June 9, 2009)
H1N1 Influenza A (Swine Flu) Virus - Traditional Chinese Translation (June 9, 2009)

Helpful Information Links:
Flu Symptoms Check List and Fact Sheets (May 11, 2009)
Talking to Children About H1N1 Influenza A (Swine Flu) Virus: A Parent Resource
Massachusetts Dept. of Public Health
Updated Swine Flu Advisory for Schools and Childcare Settings (PDF form) issued April 29, 2009