School districts across the country are implementing measures to try to prevent the spread of H1N1 flu. Santa Fe Springs in California took delivery of more than a million surgical masks and gloves this week, to try to curb the spread of the illness. The Whittier Daily News reports:
According to federal guidelines, the best way to prevent the spread of viruses is by staying home if sick, covering coughs and sneezes, washing or sanitizing hands frequently, and getting a flu vaccine.
However, if a student becomes ill at school, the guidelines say the child should be taken to a supervised sick room separate from others and wear a surgical mask if they can tolerate it.
Not to belittle the gift from the federal government, but why aren’t parents taking measures to provide these things for their children? It seems that the expectation of many parents is that the schools should provide everything to protect their children from the swine flu. Not to put it too bluntly, but you’re ultimately responsible for the safety of your children. You should be taking measures to protect your kids in the event of an H1N1 outbreak at your school.
You can purchase an emergency supplies kit for your child to take with them to school (it can fit in their backpack or they can keep it at their desk). For parents who are really on the ball, 1800prepare.com has emergency kits that can outfit an entire classroom, including teacher and students, for an emergency situation.
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