Boston Public Health Commission Update: H1N1 Flu Virus
June 2009 | www.bphc.org
Important Information for Summer Programs: H1N1
H1N1 Influenza (Swine Flu): Guidance for Summer Camps, Summer School Programs and Summer Activities in Boston (These recommendations are based on information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and may change as more information becomes available.)
As many of you know, the H1N1 influenza virus has disproportionately affected children; in Boston, over 60% of confirmed cases occurred in children under the age of 18. Twenty schools were closed in Boston due to clusters of sick students and/or teachers, and schools throughout the city undertook strategies to monitor absenteeism, identify and dismiss students who came to school ill, and to implement measures that slowed the spread of novel H1N1 flu in their facilities. And although we are seeing a decrease in cases of influenza‐like illness (ILI) across the Commonwealth, many residents of the city are still reporting flu symptoms associated with the H1N1 virus.
As you prepare for your summer programming, in order to prevent transmission of H1N1 influenza, we ask that you adhere to the following Boston Public Health Commission interim guidance. 