Hollister
– Health professionals are teaming up to make sure local
educators are prepared for the worst in case of pandemic flu, a
possibility state and national officials are urging the public to
prepare for.
Hollister – Health professionals are teaming up to make sure local educators are prepared for the worst in case of pandemic flu, a possibility state and national officials are urging the public to prepare for.
“The thought is that avian flu has the potential to turn into a pandemic flu,” said Karen Aeschliman, a registered nurse who specializes in Infection Control for Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital. “And if that were to happen, well, of our lives would be very different in a lot of ways.”
San Benito County Public Health Services is working with the county Office of Education to put on a pandemic flu preparedness summit tomorrow for educators at all levels of the school system from throughout the community.
“If there were a pandemic flu, schools would really be at the center of it,” said Samantha Perez, one of the event’s organizers. “And they need to be prepared.”
Anyone who had ever sent kids to school knows it can be a breeding ground for germs, particularly for small children. Sniffles, chicken pox and lice are just a few of the nasty things that can come home in addition to a student’s report card. In the case of a pandemic flu, it’s likely that effect would be multiplied.
“Generally the K through 12 schools are the first to see an outbreak of the flu and how it’s spreading,” said Brian Tempero, of the Office of Emergency Services.
Around 60 representatives of the local education community are expected to attend, from administrators and teachers to support staff and maintenance workers. The day will be spent teaching attendees the basics of what would happen in the midst of a pandemic flu, what local resources are available and what action the local school system would need to take to ensure the safety of its students.
“Basically what you would see is called ‘social isolation,’ where schools are closed down, movie theaters, any public place where people could gather and make each other sick,” said Aeschliman, who will speak at the event.
The possibility of pandemic flu is receiving serious consideration at the state and national levels. In mid-September State Superintendent of Instruction Jack O’Connell advised all California schools to prepare emergency plans should the pandemic become a reality.
“There are a lot of questions you have to ask,” Perez said. “For instance, what if a child died at school? Would you tell the public which school the child died at? How would you prevent a mass hysteria?”
Officials are quick to remind the public, however, that there is nothing near a pandemic occurring in the United States presently – and there hasn’t been in almost 100 years, when the Spanish flu broke out in 1918. And should the unthinkable happen, local residents are at less of a risk of catching the flu than their big-city cousins.
“If a pandemic does come to America, it will come from someone who’s traveled abroad and gotten ill, and it will probably happen in big cities, though if it’s a true pandemic, it will come to San Benito County,” Aeschliman said. “Outbreaks usually last 18-24 months, and they come in waves. It takes about 8 months for a vaccine to be developed. So by the time it comes here, a vaccine might already be available.”
The summit will be Thursday at the Hollister School District office. In the future, Public Health will be working with local business owners to prepare their operations for a hypothetical pandemic flu outbreak.
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or ds****@fr***********.com.
