January 8, 2020

En español

Flu season is typically from October thru mid-May. Please remember to keep students with flu symptom home until they have been symptom-free for 24 hours. Management is a team effort between parents, students, health care professionals, Plano ISD and Collin County Health Department. Each plays a vital role in managing the flu season responsibly. 

Our schools help by:

• Teaching and encouraging proper handwashing techniques.
• Teaching effective coughing and sneezing techniques such as coughing in your sleeve.
• Posting signs around the campus as visual reminders.
• Offering free flu vaccinations to staff.
• Encouraging all staff to remain home when ill.

Parents help by:

• Having their families vaccinated against the flu.
• Encouraging proper handwashing, sneezing and coughing techniques be used at home.
• Consulting their health care providers when flu-like symptoms begin. Flu-like symptoms include: fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, fatigue and nasal congestion.
• Keeping children home when ill.

Students help by:

• Washing their hands for twenty seconds with soap and water before and after eating, after sneezing or coughing into their hands, after using the restroom, after playing outdoors and any other time their hands are dirty.
• Using tissues to sneeze and cough into their sleeves.
• Not sharing food and drink.
• Encouraging others to do the same.

Collin County Health Department can help when:

• Increased incidences of diagnosed flu or absences related to flu-like illness are noted in a particular school.
• Helping plan and making suggestions for managing increased incidences in a particular area.

More information can be found on the following government sites:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Collin County Health Care Services 
• Texas Department of State Health Services