Maine Association of School Nurses presents

   Pandemic Flu: Resources for School Nurses.

On April 12, 2006, Maine's Commissioner of Education, Susan Gendron, asked all school districts to consider making plans for a possible pandemic of influenza. The World Health Organization and U.S. Health and Human Services are saying that a pandemic or world wide outbreak of influenza is over due. A strain of H5N1 avian influenza is being monitored world wide. This virus has the potential to mutate and begin to infect humans.

Public health experts state that the question is "When will a pandemic flu arrive" rather than IF. The prediction is that there will be little warning before it strikes, it is likely to be severe, and vaccine and antivirals will not be available or in short supply.

The purpose of this CD is to provide all Maine school nurses with a comprehensive, easily accessible resource which will help them provide leadership in pandemic influenza planning. Within this CD you will find a template for your school pandemic flu plan as well as an example. You will also find action plan guides. Three original power point presentations are included and can be used as is or can be modified to your target audience.

School nurses have expertise in infection control and disease surveillance, two aspects of a pandemic flu plan. Reproducible fact sheets, posters, and lesson plans have been included. Other materials collected on this volume are mental health guidelines and information, research articles and web links.

The directive to begin planning for a novel influenza virus gives us the opportunity to display leadership in our schools. The plans made for pan flu will serve us well with other infectious diseases. Improving our plans to monitor infectious disease and to prepare for and mitigate outbreaks will assure better health for our school population in Maine.

This CD was funded by a grant from the Aroostook County Emergency Management Agency. It was produced by Maine Association of School Nurses in collaboration with the City of Portland, Maine, Health and Human Services Department, Public Health Division, Pandemic Flu Program. Technical support was provided by Windham School Department.