Posted 5/7/09:

Dear Staff, Parents, & Students,
After taking unprecedented precautions and studying the H1N1 influenza (swine flu) very closely, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced late Tuesday afternoon that they were rescinding their recommendation for public schools to close if they have any suspected or confirmed cases of this new strain of flu. The University Interscholastic League has also lifted the ban on UIL activities and a schedule can be viewed at the UIL website. 

FISD will immediately resume scheduled student activities involving out of district travel. While the bans on travel and school closures are being rescinded, our commitment to promoting good personal hygiene and cough etiquette remains in place.

Thank you for all that you do to keep our students safe.

Best Wishes,
Trish Hanks

Posted May 4, 2009:

As of Friday May 1, 2009 at 10 am, there are currently no confirmed cases of H1N1 (swine) flu in Galveston County.  With no confirmed cases at this time, there are no public health recommendations in Galveston County and cities to close schools or to cancel any social gatherings.   Keep in mind that this outbreak is a fluid situation with rapid developments.  As such, additional public health recommendations will be issued as new information is available.

While this is good news, I do recommend that school officials and event organizers promote the following public health messages to prevent the possible spread of illness:

• Stay calm and informed.  Read about H1N1 flu and keep up with its developments.  We have information on our website www.gchd.org.
• Proper Hand Hygiene.  Practice frequent and proper hand washing with plain soap and water.  If soap and water is not available use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Do NOT touch your face.  Once your hands are clean, do not touch your face, nose, eyes or lips. 
• Cover your cough. If you must cough or sneeze, cover your mouth with a tissue or your sleeve.  Throw the tissue away in a waste basket.  Do not leave discarded tissues on your desk or other surfaces.  Then, wash your hands thoroughly.
• Stay home and seek medical care if you are sick. If you are feverish, achy, have a dry, painful cough or sore throat, go home from school or work and call your health care provider. This helps protect yourself and others.
• Practice good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food. 

At this time…. If you are planning an event or social gathering, I recommend the following measures to assist in this community wide public health effort to prevent infection and the spread of illnesses in our community:

• Have adequate amounts of soap and water available at all times to facilitate adequate and proper hand washing.
• Have alcohol-based hand sanitizers available as needed. 
• Frequently clean surfaces that people touch.
• Encourage people that may be sick to stay home and not attend the event or gathering. 

Prevention is our key message. Our goals are to prevent infections in Galveston County and to avoid spread to others.   There is much each of us can do as individuals, and as a community, to protect ourselves and minimize any possible impact in our community.  If you need any assistance please contact our Public Information Officer, Kurt Koopmann, at (409) 938-2211 or kkoopman@gchd.org.

Harlan "Mark" Guidry, MD, MPH
Health Authority for Galveston County & Cities
Galveston County Health District
PO BOX 939
LaMarque, Texas 77568

Posted: April 27, 2009:

To date, there are no cases of swine flu in Friendswood ISD. Pandemic Flu is caused by a new influenza virus that people have not been exposed to before.  The symptoms are similar to the common flu, but may be more severe and complications more serious. The symptoms include fever, headache, chills, body aches, fatigue, dry cough, sore throat and nasal congestion.  Symptoms may also include nausea and vomiting.

As a wellness initiative, FISD Food Services has installed hand sanitizer pumps in all of their serving lines. This was an effort to help protect students and staff from viruses such as these.

To help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses such as the flu, take extra precaution to:

    * Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or sneeze into the crook of your arm.
    * Wash hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing.  If you are not near water, use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
    * Avoid close contact with people who are sick.  When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick as well.
    * Stay home from work, school and social gatherings if you get the flu.
    * Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose or mouth.  Germs spread rapidly this way.
    * Stay informed with the facts.
         1. An accurate source is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  The hotline is 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4536) or www.cdc.gov
         2. Other sources for up-to-date and reliable pandemic information are:

Federal website – www.pandemicflu.gov
State website – www.dshs.state.tx.us