Bulletin #10 | November 5th, 2019

As the mornings get cooler and winter approaches, the annual flu season begins again!

The flu is always present but many more people are affected during the winter months.
Top medical authorities around the world say that the best way to protect your family is with the annual flu vaccine. It is recommended that everyone 6 months of age and older get the seasonal flu vaccine every year. We are making special arrangements for those who wish to participate in this program. Dr. Juan Manuel Fraga will be offering the vaccine at TEC100 with a preferential cost for the JFK community, if you require more information, please contact our medical service offices. IMSS also provides this service free in their installations. Some people should not be vaccinated, so talk to your own doctor first if you are in any doubt.

Young children and adults with certain medical conditions can have complications if they get the flu, and although this is unlikely, we do wish our school community to be the best prepared possible. The flu season usually runs from October – May with most infections happening in January and February. The viruses that cause influenza or the flu are always changing, and this is why we always need to be extra careful with hygiene at this time, even if we have been ill in the past.

It is disruptive for all of us when students and teachers are sick and we believe that with some simple precautions we can all help keep ourselves free from the flu this year.
Please talk to your children about washing their hands often, coughing into their sleeve or tissue, not sharing their personal items (such as chapstick, drinks, water bottles and food), and keeping their hands out of their mouths, nose and eyes.

Please also remember that flu germs get to us all through many ways, not just school. Parents go to work, go shopping, and generally mix with other people all day. We all have the risk of bringing the germ to the home where anyone in the family can contaminate anyone else. Simple hygiene such as making sure all family members wash their hands when arriving home can help all of us stay flu-free!

We will work carefully and follow all requirements to help keep the school clean and safe. We remain in contact with the authorities on a daily basis and will not hesitate to close a classroom or the school if requested to do so by the authorities. I will post regular updates through email to keep all informed and I ask that you please check the official school communications. Last year many parents were worried by ‘fake news’ circulating on WhatsApp groups!

If your child is sick with a fever, please do not send her/him to school. Keep your sick child home for at least 24 hours after the fever goes away. Your child can come back to school after her/his temperature returns to normal for 24 hours without medication. It is important to contact a doctor if you believe that they may have the flu or flu-like symptoms. If a doctor confirms that they do have the flu please share that official note with the school and remember that we will require a medical clearance note to return. Under such circumstances, the principal of your section can advise about homework and other details to ensure the disruption to study and grades will be minimal.
We will soon begin our usual ‘flu checks’ as a first screening at all entrances of the school, and so please be patient with the questions being asked. Each year we do detect a number of sick people with this process and no doubt save a lot of contamination of other people as well.

 

Let’s hope we can all stay ‘flu-free’ this winter!

Debra Cortney