The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has prepared what they've named, "Preparing for the Flu: A Communication Toolkit" for schools. The toolkit includes a series of PDFs with basic information about how to prepare parents and school administrators for the possibility of school closings (two fact sheets), action steps teachers and parents can take to protect students and communities (three fact sheets), and two Word™ templates schools can send to parents.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan stated, "The toolkit advises school officials to develop a school dismissal plan and options for how school work can be continued at home (e.g., homework packets, Web-based lessons, phone calls), if school is dismissed."
The CDC has also initiated a School Dismissal Monitoring System to report school closings related to the H1N1 virus. They offer two ways to report dismissals: online or via fax/e-mail.
And there is still a vaccine rumored to be on the horizon. Officials are saying we can look forward to it by mid-October. The CDC has published an updated Q&A page in regards to H1N1 vaccinations.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelis stated, "We're going to continue to do everything possible to keep our children—and all Americans—healthy and safe this fall. The best way to prevent the spread of flu is vaccination."
There is still talk about schools opening their doors as vaccination centers to their communities. Nothing has been made mandatory to date.
