Flu Information for Schools
The Department of Health works closely with the Department of Education, and directly with schools to help safeguard the health of Vermont’s children, and the health of school staff and faculty.
The most important things schools can do to reduce the risk of flu:
- encourage all students and staff to get a flu vaccination
- make sure students and employees stay home when they are sick
- encourage good respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene
It is important that children and adults who show symptoms of flu like illness stay home from school. Not only so that they may get better, but also to avoid passing any virus on to others.
Flu Guidance and Information
Visit Flu.gov for up-to-date school guidance and planning resources.
Updated federal guidelines offer state and local public health and school officials a range of options for responding to influenza in schools. The guidance says officials should balance the risk of flu in their communities with the disruption that school dismissals will cause in education and the wider community.
Schools K-12
CDC Guidance
- CDC Guidance for State and Local Public Health Officials and School Administrators
- Technical Report for State and Local Public Health Officials and School Administrators on CDC Guidance
- Preparing for the Flu: A Communication Toolkit for Schools (Grades K-12)
- Action Steps for Schools to Prevent the Spread of Flu (PDF version)
Vermont Guidance
- School Dismissal Guidance (VT Department. of Education)
- School Dismissal Monitoring System (CDC) - To report 2009 H1N1 related school and/or district closures
- Letter to Vermont Educators from Commissioners of Health and Education - 08/19/09
- Model School Letter to Parents (Word) (PDF)
Higher Education
CDC Guidance
- CDC Guidance for Responses to Influenza for Institutions of Higher Education during the 2009-2010 Academic Year
- Communication Toolkit for Institutions of Higher Education
- Technical Report on CDC Guidance for Responses to Influenza for Institutions of Higher Education during the 2009-2010 Academic Year
Parents & Caregivers
Planning & Action Resources
Planning & Checklists
These checklists detail the steps that schools and child care providers can take to plan for and respond to pandemic flu.
- Child Care and Pre-Schools (pdf)
- K-12 School Districts (pdf)
- Colleges and Universities (pdf)
Posters
Proper Handwashing - Wash your hands often and well. All purpose poster; 8.5 x 11, 348 KB
Achoo! - poster for schools, daycares, etc. on good health manners and respiratory etiquette; 8.5 x 11, 249 KB
Don't Share - poster for offices and other public places on preventing germs from spreading; 8.5 x 11, 236 KB
More Resources for Schools
Flu.gov - School Planning
U.S. Government flu information and materials.
The U.S. Departments of Education and Agriculture provide tools to assist schools with disseminating health information, and planning for staff and student absences:
- Pandemic Flu: A Planning Guide for Educators
Identifies issues to consider when planning for seasonal flu, a mild or moderate pandemic flu, or a severe pandemic. It tells what a "flu pandemic" is, how influenza spreads, and what can be done to limit spread of the flu. - Guidance for Educators During Severe Pandemic (pdf)
Guidance for educators and school officials focusing on implications of the type of prolonged school closure that is recommended for severe pandemics. Guidance is in question-answer format. - Understanding Avian Influenza Lesson Plan (pdf) 7.42 MB
Resource for teaching high school biology students about avian influenza, specifically highly pathogenic H5N1.