H1N1 Information

The City of Parma will make an effort to update this page as information that will benefit residents is made available. This may include school closures, availability of vaccinations, and other important updates. Please check back regularly, but also monitor local news reports for the latest information.

Recommendations and Suggestions

The following recommendations are provided from the Center for Disease Control, the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, and the City of Parma with regards to the possible outbreak of the H1N1 flu (Swine Flu).

Cuyahoga County Board of Health H1N1 Newsletter

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 4 main ways you and your family may keep from getting sick with the flu at school and at home:

Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder; not into your hands.
Stay home if you or your child is sick for at least 24 hours after there is no longer a fever or signs of a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medicine). Keeping sick people at home means that they keep their viruses to themselves rather than sharing them with others.
Get your family vaccinated for seasonal flu and 2009 H1N1 flu when vaccines are available.

Monitor the health of the sick child and any other household members by checking for fever and other symptoms of flu. A fever is a temperature taken with a thermometer that is equal to or greater than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius). If you are not able to measure a temperature, the sick person might have a fever if he or she feels warm, has a flushed appearance, or is sweating or shivering.

Watch for emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention. These warning signs include:

Fast breathing or trouble breathing
Bluish or gray skin color
Not drinking enough fluids
Not urinating or no tears when crying
Severe or persistent vomiting
Not waking up or not interacting
Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Sudden dizziness
Confusion
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

If flu conditions become MORE severe consider the following steps:

Extend the time the person stays home for at least 7 days, even if they feel better sooner. People who are still sick after 7 days should continue to stay home until at least 24 hours after symptoms have completely gone away.
If a household member is sick, keep any school-aged brothers or sisters home for 5 days from the time the household member became sick. Parents should monitor their health and the health of other school-aged children for fever and other symptoms of the flu.

Follow these steps to prepare for the flu:

Plan for child care at home if your child gets sick or their school is dismissed.
Plan to monitor the health of the sick family member and other members of the household by checking for fever and other symptoms of flu.
Identify if you have children or other family members who are at higher risk of serious disease from the flu and talk to your healthcare provider about a plan to protect them during the flu season. Children at high risk of serious disease from the flu include: children under 5 years of age and those children with chronic medical conditions, such as asthma and diabetes.
Identify a separate room in the house for the care of sick family members.
Update emergency contact lists.
Collect games, books, DVDs and other items to keep your family entertained if schools are dismissed or your child is sick and must stay home.

Further information can be obtained at the following:
Cuyahoga County Board of Health - 216-201-2001
www.ccbh.net

The Center for Disease Control - 800-232-4636
www.cdc.gov

Warning: E-mail Phishing Scam

PHISHING SCAM - CDC Sponsored State Vaccination Program for H1N1

CDC has received reports of fraudulent emails (phishing) referencing a CDC sponsored State Vaccination Program for H1N1. The messages request that users create a personal H1N1 (swine flu) Vaccination Profile on the CDC.gov web site.

An example of the phishing e-mail is below:

Phshing sample

Users that click on the embedded link in the email are at risk of having malicious code installed on their system. CDC reminds users to take the following steps to reduce the risk of being a victim of a phishing attack:

Do not open or respond to unsolicited e-mail messages.
Do not click links embedded in e-mails from unknown senders.
Use caution when entering personal information online.
Update anti-virus, spyware, firewall, and anti-spam software regularly.

Planning for Pandemic Flu

You can prepare for an influenza pandemic now. You should know both the magnitude of what can happen during a pandemic on you and your family. This checklist will help you gather resources you may need in case of a flu pandemic.

To plan for a pandemic or other emergencies such as power outages or disasters:

Store a two week supply of water and food. During a pandemic or other emergency, if you cannot get to a store, or the store is out of supplies, it will be important that you have essential items on hand.
Periodically check your regular prescription drugs to ensure a continuous supply in your home.
Have any nonprescription drugs and other health supplies on hand. This should include pain relievers, stomach remedies, cough and cold medicines, fluids with electrolytes and vitamins.

Items to have on hand for an extended stay at home:

Ready-to-eat canned meats, fish, vegetables, beans, and soups
Dry Cereal or granola
Protein or fruit bars
Peanut butter, nuts
Dried fruit
Powdered milk
Crackers
Canned or bottled juice
Bottled water
Baby food
Pet food
Thermometer
Cleaning agents/soap, alcohol based hand sanitizer, bleach
Manual can opener
Garbage bags
Tissues, toilet paper, diapers
Flashlight, portable radio and batteries