Flu activity is beginning to pick up in our country. It is not too late to get a flu vaccine. I got my flu vaccine this flu
season – what about you? School nurses are committed to promoting the health and
well-being of the students and school staff they serve. It could be argued that
school nurses have an ethical obligation to prevent influenza from passing to
our students and school staff - even during this late part of the season. I encourage you to continue to make a strong recommendation to get a flu vaccine this season - even now. And if you haven’t been vaccinated yet, this would be a great week to do so.
". . . role model your commitment to be vaccinated."
Unfortunately,
influenza (“flu”) is often misunderstood. Influenza is not the
same as the “stomach flu” and it is much more serious than the common cold. It
is a serious and sometimes deadly respiratory disease. These misunderstandings often lead
people to believe school age children do not need the vaccine. But did you know
that school age children are most likely to become infected? Some years,
38 million
school days are lost by students because of the flu.
During the 2012-2013 flu season
169 children died from the flu – the highest number of pediatric
deaths ever recorded in a non-pandemic year. Ninety percent of these
children were not vaccinated, and 40 percent had no underlying chronic health
condition. As of 1/30/16 there nine pediatric deaths - while the number may seem low, that is 9 deaths too many. In addition,
20,000
children are hospitalized each year because of the flu. So while complications from influenza are more devastating for the very young
and the elderly, influenza can make school age children sick enough to miss
school, be hospitalized, or even die.
Remember, this is a preventable disease!
The National Association of School Nurses (NASN)
supports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
recommendation that everyone 6 months of age and older should receive the
influenza vaccine each year. If you are leading by example, let others know you got your flu vaccine. Stay
informed about current vaccine recommendations and resources so you can make a
strong recommendation in your schools resulting in greater vaccine uptake in
your communities. Check out these important websites:
NASN > Tools and
Resources > Seasonal Influenza and Keep Flu out of School! Listen to the
voices of parents who know firsthand how serious flu can be in children.
Even at this late point in the flu season, raise your voice and provide a strong recommendation that
everyone in your school gets the flu vaccine. If you do this, be prepared to let
your school community know where they can go to get vaccinated.
Let’s Keep Flu out of School!