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EDITORIAL

Parents Have a Role to Play as Schools Face H1N1 Flu

By Harry J. Delgado
President, New Jersey School Boards Association

Throughout New Jersey, children are returning to school for what promises to be a year like no other. That’s because this year, schools face an outbreak of the H1N1 flu.

The health and welfare of schoolchildren is the paramount concern of school officials, who have been preparing for the onset of the H1N1 flu. They’ve been working with teachers, doctors, school nurses, and health experts at the state, county and local levels.

As a school board member for 14 years, I know the other key partners that schools will need this year are the parents. The flexibility and understanding of parents will play a crucial role during these difficult times.

As the father of two daughters, I know how parents are in an ideal position to demonstrate their courage and share their wisdom.

At this point, we know H1N1 does not appear any more dangerous than seasonal flu. Most people who get it suffer typical flu-like symptoms. But we should also remember that 36,000 people nationally die each year from seasonal flu. With H1N1 flu, the groups that are disproportionately struck are those with pre-existing health conditions, pregnant women – and young people, a group not usually singled out by influenza.

As parents, we need to reinforce in our children the messages that we hear from health and school officials: Wash your hands. Cover your mouth when coughing. Limit social contact, and stay at home if you’re sick. But our role also includes leading by example – with as much composure and understanding we can muster in the face of adversity.

The only thing that’s certain is unpredictability. Schools in one community might close, while the next town over might be relatively free of the flu. There will be Monday-morning quarterbacking over decisions to close, or not to close, schools.

We also need to be flexible as we learn more about this pandemic. Late last school year, many schools throughout the nation closed after a few reported outbreaks. Now, the goal is to keep the sick students home and the healthy ones learning.

And we should also understand the social dynamics at work. Remember earlier in the year when H1N1 first broke? Some people thought the disease came from Mexico. Some countries slaughtered pigs because it was called “swine” flu (that’s one reason health specialists now refer to it as H1N1 flu).

Although it’s human nature to assign blame, we need to be aware of any stigma that children might face from their peers. For instance, what if kids believed a particular student’s flu led to a school closure or the cancellation of school sports or social events?

Parents might also encounter erroneous information. These days it’s common to receive spam e-mails spreading rumors and misinformation – so it wouldn’t be surprising to hear similar rumors and erroneous information about the H1N1 flu and its vaccine. I encourage parents to arm themselves with knowledge through sources such as the U.S. Department of Health’s Web site at www.flu.gov and the Centers for Disease Control site at www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu.

Rest assured, your local schools are concerned, and they are preparing. Realize that, as parents, we play a critical role in shaping the outcome of a difficult school year.

Mr. Delgado, president of the New Jersey School Boards Association, is also a member of the South Brunswick Board of Education. He is a Captain in the South Brunswick Police Department.

The New Jersey School Boards Association, a federation of district boards of education, advocates the interests of school districts, trains local school board members, and provides resources for the advancement of public education.