H1N1 Vaccinations

Washington County Department of Public Health and Environment is offering nine H1N1 flu vaccination clinics throughout the month of January. Clinics are open to ALL PERSONS wishing to be vaccinated against the H1N1 influenza virus. There is no charge for the vaccination.

Children 9 years of age and younger need two doses approximately 4 weeks apart. This is a good opportunity for young children to receive a second dose, if they had their first dose in late November or early December.

Reserve your vaccination by calling the Flu Message Center at 651-430-6820. All clinics will run from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Washington County Government Center, Stillwater

• Wednesday, January 13th
• Wednesday, January 20th
• Tuesday, January 26th

Headwaters Forest Lake Service Center, Forest Lake

• Thursday, January 7th
• Tuesday, January 12th
• Monday, January 25th

Cottage Grove Service Center, Cottage Grove

• Wednesday, January 6th
• Thursday, January 21st
• Wednesday, January 27th

 Call 651-430-6820 for updated clinic information or visit www.co.washington.mn.us/flu

Information about the H1N1 vaccine

Questions about Flu? Call the Minnesota FluLine
People with possible flu symptoms can call the Minnesota FluLine (MN FluLine) at 1-866-259-4655 for information and treatment options. Professionals will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. People with limited English skills will be connected with an interpreter. There is no charge for the call.

Influenza Informational Letter to Parents

Parent/Caregiver Influenza Screening Checklist

Student absences due to influenza
Our staff members are working hard to minimize the disruption to learning the flu may cause. Students and parents are encouraged to consult with classroom teachers by phone or email to collect assignments and arrange for make-up work. Many teachers are also posting assignments online, as appropriate. Our teachers are very understanding and accommodating to the needs of students, and look forward to working with each student as they return to school after an illness.

As part of our commitment to provide personal and individualized learning to our students, our teachers will work with students on an individual basis to assign make-up work and catch up on their learning.

• Extended deadlines for assignments and tests may be provided, as determined by the teacher and student.
• Teachers may provide alternative assignments for students absent with influenza-like illness symptoms.
• Student grades will not be negatively impacted by absences due to illness so long as make-up work is completed within the agreed upon timeline.

If you have specific questions or concerns about anything your child may miss out on as a result of an extended absence due to illness, please contact your child’s teacher, coach, or advisor.

Heard the rumors? Get the facts!
If you hear a rumor about H1N1, or just want to be sure you have all the facts straight, please feel free to contact us at comments@stillwater.k12.mn.us.

You can help us prevent the spread of influenza by taking the following steps:

1. Keep your child home if they have symptoms of the flu. That means a fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or greater, with cough and/or a sore throat. See the Symptom Checklist online for more information.

2. Stay home for at least 24 hours after fever is gone without use of fever-reducing drugs like Tylenol or Motrin. Usually that means staying home for 5 to 7 days. Children should not come back to school if they are not well enough to participate in school activities, even if their fever has been gone for 24 hours.

Some additional important points:

• Children still need to stay home until their fever has been gone for 24 hours even if they are on antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu or have had a flu test that is negative. Flu tests are not always accurate.
• When you call school to report that your child will be out sick, please let us know he/she has influenza-like illness. This will help us know the amount of flu activity in the school.
• Children returning to school after an influenza-like illness will still be able to spread the illness, although less easily than when they had fever and flu symptoms. To avoid spreading the virus, it is very important that they clean their hands frequently, and cover coughs and sneezes with a sleeve or tissue while at school.

For more information about influenza, visit www.flu.gov.