11/6/09

At this time, Victory is still on a waiting list and has not been given a date for shots to be offered here.

The Tulsa Health Department has released the following information for walk-in clinics being scheduled for anyone who are in the groups listed below.

The Tulsa Health Department will offer a free walk-in clinic on Saturday, November 7th at the Expo Square Exchange Center located at 21st Street between Harvard and Yale from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. The walk-in clinic will be available to the following groups:

· All children ages 6 months - 18 years

· Pregnant women

· Frontline healthcare workers with direct patient contact to acutely ill

· Custodial parents of infants less than 6 months of age

· Persons 19-64 years of age with chronic medical conditions

Additional upcoming walk-in clinics include:

· Thursday, November 12th from 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at The Church at Battlecreek located at 3025 N. Aspen Avenue in Broken Arrow

· Thursday, December 3rd from 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at Tulsa Community College West campus located at 7505 W. 41st Street in Tulsa

· Saturday, December 12th from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at Oral Roberts University located at 7777 S. Lewis Avenue in Tulsa

You may continue to check the THD website for updates.

http://www.tulsa-health.org/community-health/epidemiology/h1n1-flu-vaccinations/?lid=1617

10/29/09  Please read: There have been some changes due to short supply and prioritizing of H1N1 Vaccine

H1N1 FLU Shot Clinic

FREE-FREE-FREE

Victory Christian School Students

Students enrolled at VCS
Age: K3  - 12th grade
Target ages: 5 years - 18 years of age.

^{(No date has been scheduled as yet. We are on a waiting list as vaccine becomes available)} 

1:00 – 4:00 PM

Carpeted area of Activity Center.

With proper consent form, parent will not have  to accompany children. Consent forms are available for download on Health Services webpages.

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H1N1 Flu

Dear Parent,

School districts across the state are continuing to experience a higher-than-normal number of flu cases this year. Victory Christian School has received 7 reports from parents indicating their child has been diagnosed with H1N1 strain of influenza. There have been other reports of Type A flu and flu-like symptoms.

It can take up to a week to determine the type of flu that has infected a person, and health officials are no longer confirming H1N1 flu cases unless they result in hospitalization. Information obtained from the CDC tells us that ninety-eight percent of the flu cases being identified across the nation are of the H1N1 strain. Based on this information, we are considering those with flu like symptoms as being ill from the H1N1 strain, even though the school has no official confirmation in these cases.

For those students and staff members who are healthy and attending school as normal, we encourage them to frequently wash their hands or use the hand sanitizers available. Sick children and staff members should remain at home. In a family with multiple children, if one child becomes ill with fever and flu-like symptoms, please consider keeping all siblings at home to prevent spreading the virus. Symptoms of the flu include:

• Fever of more than 100 degrees (F)
• Cough
• Headache
• Chills
• Muscle aches or fatigue
• Sore throat
• Vomiting and diarrhea in some cases

We are staying informed through the Tulsa Health Department and the CDC to monitor flu conditions and make decisions about the best steps to take concerning our school. You may access the VCS homepage for information specific on the H1N1 influenza.

Please continue to help us prevent the spread of sickness to our students, staff and families.

Declare God’s promises over your home and school.

Teach your children to wash their hands often with soap and water or hand sanitizer.

Teach your children not to share drinks or food.

Teach your children to cover their coughs and sneezes with tissues or use the elbow, arm or sleeve instead of the hand when a tissue is unavailable.

Keep sick children at home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have fever or do not have signs of fever, without using fever-reducing drugs.

Do not send children to school if they are sick. Any children who are deter­mined to be sick while at school will be sent home.

Standing in agreement with you for health, healing and wholeness, In Jesus Name,

Barbara Johnson, RN

Victory Christian School Nurse

September 4, 2009
It is likely that you have read and heard a lot lately about the H1N1 flu virus. The H1N1 virus remains a health concern and public health officials in Oklahoma and across the nation continue to monitor its status.

Since our school year has begun, we have seen students with flu-like symptoms in our school. This is not uncommon at most schools in our city. At this time, there have only been 3 confirmed cases of H1N1 flu reported among Victory Christian School students. Please be reminded that if your child begins to show flu-like symptoms, it is important that you keep your child home and not allow him or her to return to school until at least 24 hours have passed without fever.

Below is more information about H1N1 and how you can help prevent the spread of flu.

Information for Parents 

H1N1 flu (once referred to as swine flu) is a respiratory disease that is spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. Most U.S. cases have not been severe and are similar to seasonal flu, therefore, health officials recommend that children who are not sick can safely attend school. H1N1 flu viruses are not spread by food. You cannot get H1N1 flu from eating pork or pork products.

Symptoms of the flu include:

• Fever of more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, AND cough/sore throat
• Other symptoms may include headache, chills, muscle aches or fatigue, sore throat, and in some cases vomiting and diarrhea

In children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish or gray skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Not waking up or not acting right
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
• Fever with a rash
  

Ways to Protect the Health of Children

To keep the flu from spreading to more people, the Tulsa Health Department recommends sick children stay at home. Any children who are sick at school should be sent home. It is important to be alert for signs of illness in your children.

Following are some ways you can slow the spread of germs:

• Children who are sick should stay home and not attend school or go into the community except to seek medical care
• Children should not return to school until fever free for at least 24 hours without fever medication
• Teach children to wash their hands often with soap and warm water for 20 seconds (the time it takes to sing your ABCs twice).
• Teach children to cover coughs and sneezes with tissues or by coughing into the inside of the elbow.
• Teach children to avoid close contact with others who are sick.

Influenza Vaccinations

It is anticipated that a H1N1 vaccine will be available this fall in addition to seasonal flu vaccine. Please check this site for vaccine availability in the coming weeks. Below is a listing of the initial vaccination priority groups that are recommended to receive the H1N1 vaccine.

• All people 6 months through 24 years of age
• People who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age
• Pregnant women
• Healthcare and emergency services personnel
• People aged 25-64 years of age who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza

As the flu season continues over the next several months, you will likely receive other communications about how you can best support our efforts in keeping students and staff healthy. We appreciate your support and will work together to ensure that all students and staff have a successful year at VCS.

For more information on H1N1 influenza from the Tulsa City-County Health Department click here.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has compiled up-to-date and accurate information about H1N1 Flu on their web site: www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/.