Schools to get bird flu surveillance
04 March 2006 | http://www.stuff.co.nz/inl/images/null.gif |
By ANDREA DEUCHRASS
Surveillance systems are set to be established for Southland and Otago schools to indicate an early outbreak of a bird flu pandemic.
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During the next two weeks the Southland District Health Board will meet representatives from Southland and Otago schools to discuss Ministry of Education guidelines for pandemic planning.
Southland medical health officer Derek Bell said currently there was no system for monitoring school absenteeism.
"It's important because avian influenza is likely to affect younger people first and school absenteeism rates are a very good indicator.
"Schools are seen as really important, not just because of the large numbers of people congregating but because influenza can be much more transmittable by children. They may not get quite as sick but can be infectious for longer."
Two systems would be established under the plan: a sentinel system, in which one school in each area would establish a regular reporting system to keep track of absentee rates, and another system where the health board would encourage and facilitate regular contact with schools.
"It's a work in progress but there will probably be at least one school delegated for the Wakatipu, one in Central Otago and several dotted around Southland and Otago," Mr Bell said. Health officials were hoping to pre-empt schools needing to alert mass absenteeism with other measures, he said.
"The emphasis is on keeping it out of the country but if we get to that third stage of having to manage it, we will look at doing something not just with schools but other events where lots of people congregate."
At some stage in the event of a pandemic, schools might have to be closed but the health board would regard that as a serious measure because of the impact it would have on the workforce, Mr Bell said.
He will meet with sector reference groups during the next few weeks that include representatives from principals associations, boards of trustees, parent groups and others from primary, secondary and tertiary education sectors.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/southlandtimes/0,2106,3592103a6570,00.html
Schools tap into ways to fight bird flu
08 March 2006 | http://www.stuff.co.nz/inl/images/null.gif | By SOPHIE NEVILLE
New bathrooms with liquid soap and paper towels have been installed at an Upper Hutt primary school in readiness for a war on bird flu.
Plateau School is one of several New Zealand schools to prepare their bathrooms for a possible outbreak.
At least 92 people have died of avian influenza worldwide and experts fear that a pandemic could kill millions if the virus becomes transferable between humans.
The Education Ministry which paid for the works with a grant says schools will be particularly vulnerable and maintaining good hygiene will be imperative.
A draft bird flu action plan has been sent to all schools. Principals have been advised to appoint a "pandemic manager" and to stockpile masks and medication. Plateau School principal Virginia Francis said she hoped the new bathrooms with push-taps, liquid soap and paper towels would be more attractive to pupils.
Children often did not wash their hands because they did not want to spend too much time in the old bathrooms, she said.
She had talked at assemblies on the importance of handwashing to keep bird flu at bay but said there was no sense of panic.
"If there's something we can do to prevent it happening or to make kids safer I will do it."
The school had also stocked up on groceries for families who could not afford to do it themselves, she said.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dominionpost/0,2106,3596111a6479,00.html
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