The Wayland schools distributed the following notice on their listserve on Friday, May 15:

May 15, 2009 

The Wayland Board of Health just learned late this afternoon that a student who attends the Wayland High School has been diagnosed as a confirmed case of H1N1 (swine-origin) influenza.  We expect to have additional confirmed cases as the outbreak progresses. 

Rather than closing individual schools, MDPH recommends a policy focused on keeping all students with symptoms of influenza out of school during their period of illness and recuperation, when they are potentially infectious to others. 

New MDPH Recommendations to Decrease (swine-origin) Influenza A H1N1 in Schools http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/dph/cdc/flu/swine_school_closures_guidance.pdf

  • Each morning, all parents/caregivers should assess all family members and especially all school-age children for symptoms of influenza (fever of 100 degrees or more plus cough, sore throat or runny nose) or other symptoms, such as vomiting or diarrhea that might be influenza. 

  • Each morning all school staff should assess themselves for symptoms of influenza. 

  • Students or staff with influenza-like illness (fever of 100 degrees or more plus cough, sore throat or runny nose) should stay home and not attend school. All sick students and staff should stay out of school for at least 7 days even if their symptoms resolve sooner. Students and faculty who are still sick at 7 days should continue to stay home from school until at least 24 hours after they have completely recovered. 

  •   If a child or adult is ill with other symptoms, they should stay home at least one day to observe how the illness develops and until completely well for 24 hours. 

  •   Students and staff who appear ill with flu-like symptoms at arrival or become ill at school will be sent home. 

  Persons who are ill should stay home and not go into the community unless they need medical care. Ill students should not attend alternative child care. 

  If your child has not been tested for influenza, even if their symptoms are better, they must remain at home for a 7 day period. 

  If your child is positive for type A influenza, even if their symptoms are better, they must remain at home for a 7 day period. 

  •    Normal school cleaning procedures should be followed. 

  •   As is our practice with seasonal influenza, schools officials may consider closing, in consultation with the Wayland Board of Health and MDPH; if larger numbers of students or faculty become ill and school functioning becomes disrupted. 

School nurses are doing the following:

   Encouraging and/or instructing the importance of hand hygiene and cough etiquette. 

   Performing surveillance of absenteeism.

  Contacting families with children absent 2 days or greater to determine if absence is due to flu like illness. 

  Monitoring classrooms where teachers are absent due to flu like illness.

Other helpful information about how to prevent this type of influenza and how to talk to your children about the swine flu may be found at the CDC website www.cdc.gov/swineflu and the MDPH website www.mass.gov/dph/swineflu

Additional questions may be directed to your child’s school nurse.