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September 30, 2009
H ealth matters
School Nurses Key in H1N1 Epidemic
But some
districts lack
resources
(AP) - As schools grapple
with a resurgence of swine flu,
many districts have few or no
nurses to prevent or respond
to outbreaks, leaving students
more vulnerable to a virus that
spreads easily in classroom s
and takes a heavier toll on chil­
dren and young adults.
T h e sh o rta g e o f sch o o l
nurses could lead to more stu­
dents falling ill from the H IN 1
virus, which can be particularly
dangerous for children with
weakened immune systems or
respiratory conditions such as
asthma, experts say.
When the swine flu emerged
last spring, it was a school nurse
in New York C ity — M ary
Pappas at St. Francis Prepara­
tory School — who helped iden­
tify and curtail the country's
first major outbreak after she
noticed large numbers of stu­
dents complaining of high fe­
vers and sore throats.
But m any schools around
the country don't have a medi­
cal p ro fe ssio n a l w ho can
quickly diagnose students and
detect outbreaks.
A 2008 survey by the Na­
tional A ssociation o f School
Nurses found that only 45 per­
cent o f public schools have
their own full-time nurse, an-
V '<¿1«
First-grader Emma, whose last name is omitted at parent's
request, follows instructions on how to wash her hands at
Rock Creek Elementary School.
Rock Creek Elementary School nurse Nina Fekaris shows first-grader Ian Bak how to
wash his hands. Many school districts have few or no nurses to prevent or respond to
H1N1 flu outbreaks, leaving students more vulnerable to a virus that spreads easily in
classrooms. (AP Photo)
other 30 percent have a part-
time nurse, and a quarter don't
have any nurses at all.
With swine flu cases rising
with the new school year, dis­
tricts are depending on teach­
ers, principals and secretaries
with little medical training to
identify, isolate and send home
sick children, as well as moni­
tor absences and illnesses for
signs of a wider outbreak.
"We're asking so much more
of untrained staff as far as pro­
viding medical management,"
said Nina Fekaris, a nurse in the
Beaverton School District who
is responsible for four schools
with 4,300 students. "It's put­
ting our kids at risk."
Some teachers complain they
haven't received guidance or
training on how to deal with
swine flu.
Since it was first identified in
April, the swine flu has infected
HIV Vaccine Gives Hope
(AP) - For the first time, an
experimental vaccine has pre­
vented infection with the AIDS
virus, a watershed event in the
deadly epidemic and a surpris­
ing result. Recent failures led
many scientists to think such a
vaccine might never be possible.
The World Health Organiza­
tio n and th e U .N . ag en cy
UNAIDS said the results "in­
stilled new hope" in the field of
HIV vaccine research, although
researchers say it likely is many
years before a vaccine might be
available.
The vaccine — a combina­
tion of two previously unsuc­
cessful vaccines — cut the risk
of becoming infected with HIV
by more than 31 percent in the
world's largest AIDS vaccine
trial of more than 16,000 volun­
teers in Thailand, researchers
a n n o u n c e d T h u rsd a y in
Bangkok.
Even though the benefit is
modest, "it's the first evidence
that we could have a safe and
H ealth W atch
more than I million Americans
and killed nearly 6(X), the CDC
estimates.
So far swine flu does not ap­
pear to be more dangerous than
seasonal flu, which kills an es­
timated 36,(XX) Americans each
year, but it appears to be more
contagious and health officials
are coneemed that it could mu­
tate and become deadlier.
Federal health officials are
urging parents to have their kids
Cancer Resource Center --
Parenting Classes -- Newborns
Providence St. Vincent Medical
don'tcome with instruction manu­
Center and the American Red
als but parents and parents-to-
Cross have joined forces to cre­
be can leant about a variety of
ate the first in-hospital resource
topics from painand childbirth to
center providing books, printed
breastfeeding to infant CPR and
material, computer access and
much more. Forchedule of events,
more for individuals and fami­
call 503-574-6595 or visit:
lies dealing with cancer. The
providence.org/classes.
center is open Monday through
Mammography Screening -- Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Early detection is a key factor in
Lead Poisoning Prevention -
the prevention of breast cancer.
Learn how to protect your fam­
Call 503-251-6137 to schedule
ily from lead poisoning. Ideal for
your high-tech, soft-touch mam­
folks in live in older homes with
mogram.
children or pregnant women.
Heart Talk Support Group -- Qualified participants receive a
Meets on the second Monday free kit of safety and testing
of each month; from 6 p.m. to 8 supplies. Call 503-284-6827.
p.m. For more information, call
Family Caregiver Support
503-251-6260.
Group - This topic-oriented
Beating Breast Cancer -- Health group offers a safe place to dis­
experts at Providence offer free cuss the stresses, challenges
seminars on how nutrition and and rewards of providing care
exercise choices can reduce risk to an older relative or friend.
and improve survival from breast Meets the first Thursday of each
cancer. Visit providence.org/ month at 3 p.m. at Legacy Good
Samaritan Hospital.
integrativemedicine.
Bereavement Support ( i roups - Chronic Pain Support ( iroup -
Free, safe confidential group - Meets the first Wednesday at
meetings for those who have ex­ 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and the third
perienced the death of a loved Wednesday of each month, from
one offered on various nights 7 p.m. to 8 30 p.m. For more
and locations. For info and regis- information,call 503-256-4000.
dents proper classroom hy­
giene, urging parents to keep ill
children at home, organizing
vaccination campaigns and in­
structing teachers and school
staff how to identify sick stu­
dents.
M en’s Health Project
Men’s Health Forum
“Staying Healthy for Ourselves and Our Families”
• Tuesday September 8,2009
• Tuesday October 13,2009
• Tuesday November 10,2009
Time 6-8 PM
Multnomah County NE Health Center
5329 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
(MLK and Killingsworth)
Getting the help you need now
Blood Pressure Screening. Resources,
Referrals and Follow up
Children’s
Tylenol
Recalled
(AP) - Johnson & Johnson's
McNeil unit is voluntarily recall­
ing 57 lots o f in fa n ts' and
children's liquid Tylenol prod­
ucts because of possible bac­
terial contamination.
The products being recalled
were made between April and
June and include nearly two
d o zen v a rie tie s, including
Children's Tylenol Suspension
A researcher at the U.S. Military HIV Research Program.
4 oz. Grape, Infants' Tylenol
effective preventive vaccine," come.
Grape Suspension Drops 1/4 oz.
"It gives me cautious opt - and C hildren's Tylenol Plus
Col. Jerome Kim told The As­
sociated Press. He helped lead mism about the possibility < >f Cold/Allergy 4 oz. Bubble Gum.
the study for the U.S. Army, improving this result" and d< :- Consum ers with questions
which sponsored it with the veloping a more effective AID S should call McNeil's consumer
National Institute of Allergy vaccine, Fauci said. "This s call center at 1-800-962-5357.
something that we can do."
and Infectious Diseases.
The institute's director. Dr.
Anthony Fauci, warned that
this is "not the end of the road,"
but he said he was surprised
and very pleased by the out-
tration, call 503-215-4622.
vaccinated when the H 1N 1 vac­
cine becomes ready sometime
in October.
In districts that have them,
school nurses are developing
plans to screen and quarantine
sick students, teaching stu­
Healthy Food Provided
For more information or questions please contact:
Chuck Smith • smithch@pdx.edu
Now Enrolling Preschoolers
Ages 3-5 years
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