Resources on Public Health Concerns

THE SCHOOL NURSE BULLETIN
                                         NOVEMBER 2014
                Stephanie G. Knutson, MSN, RN, Education Consultant for School Nursing



Resources on Public Health Concerns
As you are likely aware, the United States has been experiencing a nationwide outbreak of enterovirus
D68 (EV-D68) associated with severe respiratory illness that has been especially harmful to children. At
the same time, you and your communities may also have questions about the Ebola virus. To address
both public health concerns, the U.S. Department of Education and our federal health partners have a
number of informational resources to share with you.

Almost all of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed cases this year of EV-
D68 infection have been among children. Many of the children had asthma or a history of wheezing.
Many parents continue to be worried about the outbreak and want information about what they can do
to prevent illness and protect themselves and their families. The CDC has developed information and
resources for parents about EV-D68. Please help us to address parents’ questions and concerns and
make them aware that these resources are available.

Below are CDC resources about EV-D68 developed for parents:
♦ Web Feature, “What Parents Need to Know About Enterovirus D68”
♦ Drop-in newsletter article (matte article), “Parents: Learn the Facts about Enterovirus D68”
♦ Fact sheet for parents, “What Parents Need to Know about Enterovirus D68”
♦ General questions and answers for the public
♦ Infographic: Keep Your Child from Getting and Spreading Enterovirus D68

Remember too, as entrovirus season is expected to taper off, flu activity usually begins to increase in
October. While there is not a vaccine to prevent illness from enteroviruses, the single best way to
protect against the flu is to get vaccinated each year. Many resources for parents and others can be
found on the CDC flu web site. CDC recommends that ALL children 6 months old or older get a flu
vaccine.

Finally, we know your communities may also have questions about what schools can do to keep
students and adults safe from the Ebola virus. The President has made control of Ebola a top national
security priority, and we as a nation have spent more than $100 million fighting this outbreak since the
first cases were reported last March in Africa. Our national health system has the capacity and expertise
to quickly detect and contain this disease and is working with states and school districts to ensure the
safety of our students and school employees. As you likely know, the CDC is continually updating its
information on Ebola, information that can be found here: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html.