Novel H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) Information & Resources 

  
 

Continue to check back for the most recent information regarding
the Novel H1N1 Influenza A Virus (Swine Flu) Pandemic

Click on the links below for more information:

H1N1 Flu Clinic Locations

General Information

Novel H1N1 Vaccine Information

Current Influenza Activity in Genesee County

What You Can Do to Stay Healthy

Resources for Providers & Health Care Professionals

Parents of School Age Children

School and Childcare Resources

Resources for Employers and Businesses

Flu Prevention Posters and Handouts

Other Resources (Toolkits and Guidance for Summer Camp and the Community)

*The GCHD Novel H1N1 Flu Pandemic hotline number is (810) 257-3887*

 

General Information on Novel H1N1 (back to top)

Click Here for the GCHD Novel H1N1 Flu 2 Page Fact Sheet

GCHD Handwashing Fact Sheet

Novel H1N1 Vaccine Information (back to top)

Flu vaccine is available in Genesee County, click here to see clinic locations

The 2009 H1N1 vaccine is available for everyone 6 months and older. The vaccine is not intended to replace the seasonal flu vaccine – it is intended to be used along-side seasonal flu vaccine. Get both flu vaccines as soon as you are able.   

 

Current Influenza Activity in Genesee County (back to top)


 What You Can Do to Stay Healthy (back to top)
 

  • Get vaccinated against the novel H1N1 flu.
  • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it and wash your hands with soap and water.
  • View the Sneeze and Cough Safe Video for techniques and tips.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. See the GCHD Handwashing Fact Sheet. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also effective.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
  • Avoid close contact with sick people.
  • Get the seasonal flu shot where its available.
  • If you get sick with influenza, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them. You should be free of fever without the use of fever reducing medicine for 24 hours before returning to work or school.
     
    • Health care workers should stay home for at least seven days.
  • Print off one of these posters reminding you how to be a germ stopper

 

 

 

Resources for Providers & Health Care Professionals (back to top)

      Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH)

     Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Antiviral Medicines

Antiviral medicines are available free of charge to under-insured and uninsured  patients with a prescription from their doctor. These antivirals are from the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) and are available if you have your doctor contact the Genesee County Health Department:

Testing

Vaccine Information

  • Long Term Care Facilities wanting to provide the H1N1 Vaccine should read this letter: H1N1Pdf/LongTermCareFacility.pdf
  • Long Term Care Facility Online Contact Form. 
  • Other health care providers wanting to provide H1N1 Vaccine need to read this letter
  • Providers required to use Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR) to record for vaccine administrations. If you are not a registered MCIR user, the MCIR Provider User Agreement Form can be found here.
  • Providers having trouble locating their MCIR ID number, click here for a tutorial.
  • MDCH Provider H1N1 Agreement/Enrollment Form can be found here. 
  • MDCH Supplemental Enrollment Q&A Information Sheet can be found here.
  • Appropriate storage and handling of the vaccine is mandatory and will be verified by GCHD staff in order to be accepted into the H1N1 vaccine program. Storage and handling guidelines can be found here.

Parents of School Age Children (back to top)

There are many things we can do to keep our schools, our communities, and our homes flu-free.

1. Get your child and yourself vaccinated against both seasonal and H1N1 flu.

  • Vaccination is the best way to protect your child and family from both types of influenza.
  • There are 2 different flu vaccines this year. It is important to make sure children  get both kinds. Seasonal flu vaccine will not protect against novel H1N1 flu.
  • Seasonal flu vaccine and the 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine are available now.
  • CDC recommends both vaccines for all children 6 months through 18 years of age.
  • Parents and other family members should be vaccinated, too. 
  • Contact your health care provider or the local health department to arrange for yourself, your child and other family members to be vaccinated.

 2. Keep your child home if he/she is sick.

  • Flu viruses spread easily. If you suspect your child is getting or has the flu, it is important that he/she does not attend school or go anywhere else—such as group childcare, the mall, or sporting events—where other people would be exposed to flu germs.
  • Start planning now so that you are prepared if one of your kids gets the flu. Ask yourself these questions: If you work, have you made arrangements for child care? Have you talked with your employer about what to do in case you need to stay home?

3. Teach your family how to reduce their risk of getting and spreading the flu viruses by:

• Washing their hands often, with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds is best (that is about as long as it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice).

• Using hand sanitizer properly. Gels, rubs, and hand wipes all work well, as long as they contain at least 60% alcohol. Throw the wipe in the trash after it is used.

• Having them cough or sneeze into their upper sleeve—not their hands! They should cover coughs and sneezes by coughing into the inside of their elbows.

• Not touching their eyes, nose or mouth. Germs enter the body this way.
 

Information for Schools and Childcare Facilities (back to top)

The CDC does not advise that schools close if they have a suspected or actual case of the flu.

  • Guidance for School (K-12) and Childcare Facilities can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/schools/schoolguidance.htm. Some of the important guidelines for schools and childcare facilities to follow are:

    • Students, faculty or staff with flu-like illness should stay home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever, or signs of a fever, without the use of fever-reducing medicines. They should stay home even if they are using antiviral drugs.
    • Students and staff who appear to have an flu-like illness upon arrival at school, or who become sick during the school day should be isolated in a room separate from other students and sent home as soon as possible. Parents and guardians should watch their school-aged children for signs of illness.  
    • Students who are sick should not attend alternative child care or go into large groups outside of school.
    • Schools should communicate regularly with local public health officials to get guidance about reporting of flu-like illnesses.
    • Schools can help by promoting ways to reduce the spread of flu, including hand hygiene and cough etiquette. Students and staff should follow good sanitary habits, including:
      • covering their cough or sneeze with a tissue (or coughing or sneezing into their sleeve if a tissue isn’t available)
      • washing hands often with soap and water, or using hand gel if hand washing with soap and water is not possible.

Resources for Employers and Businesses (back to top)

If you’re an employer, plan now to meet your company's objectives even with a reduced staff due to the flu. You do not want an employee who is ill to spread flu in the workplace. The health of employees during a pandemic such as H1N1 influenza plays a critical role in the continued operations of a business. The most recent CDC Resources for Businesses and Employers can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/business/

What can employers do to protect employees?

  • Encourage sick workers to stay home and away from the workplace, and provide flexible leave policies.
  • Encourage infection control education in the workplace by displaying posters that address and remind workers about proper hand washing, respiratory hygiene, and cough etiquette.
  • Communicate (e-mail, memos, etc.) accurate novel H1N1 flu information to your employees.
  • Provide sufficient supplies for hand washing and alcohol-based (at least 60%) hand sanitizers (or wipes) in common workplace areas such as lobbies, corridors, and restrooms.
  • Provide tissues, disinfectants, and disposable towels for employees to clean their work surfaces, as well as appropriate disposal receptacles for use by employees.
  • One study showed that influenza virus can survive on environmental surfaces and can infect a person for up to 2-8 hours after being deposited on the surface. To reduce the chance of spread of the novel H1N1 virus, disinfect commonly-touched hard surfaces in the workplace, such as work stations, counter tops, door knobs, and bathroom surfaces by wiping them down with a household disinfectant according to directions on the product label.

What businesses can do to anticipate and respond to the impact of novel H1N1 on employees:

Other Resources (back to top)

 

  
     
 

 
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