Swine Flu Information for Concerned Parents and Caregivers

This document provides updated interim guidance for schools and child care programs regarding the prevention of the spread of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus. For the purpose of this guidance, “child care programs” will be used to refer to both licensed and unlicensed child care programs providing family home or center-based child care. “Schools” will refer to both public and private institutions providing grade K-12 education to children and adolescents in group settings.  Although child care programs and schools share common characteristics, there are differences between the two and some specific recommendations for child care programs are given in this guidance.

Initial cases of novel influenza A (H1N1) in the United States included school-aged students and were associated with travel to Mexico and school-based outbreaks. Early information from Mexico indicated that many previously healthy young adults were hospitalized with rapidly progressive pneumonia, frequently resulting in respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation and death.

Based on this initial information, CDC recommended consideration of school and child care program closure as an option to lessen the risk of infection with this novel influenza virus in order to protect students, staff, parents and other caregivers from a potentially severe disease as well as limit spread into the community.

New information on disease severity and the extent of community spread led to a revision of the school and child care program closure guidance. The large number of confirmed or probable cases of novel influenza A (H1N1) reported from almost states, with numerous disease clusters, indicates spread within communities that makes individual school and child care program closure less effective as a control measure. Most U.S. cases have not been severe and are comparable in severity to seasonal influenza. CDC and local and state health officials will continue to closely monitor the severity and spread of this novel H1N1 influenza outbreak.

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