Schools' prevention of H1N1 'impressive'
People line up outside the McKinnon Gym Tuesday morning at the University of Victoria where a clinic to administer vaccine for the H1N1 flu had been set up inside.
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Updated: November 04, 2009 10:09 AM
Hallways are lined with posters shouting "handwashing is very groovy, baby."
Hoodies are speckled with buttons depicting clean hands making a peace sign.
It's either retro-week at Greater Victoria schools, or it's flu season.
"We asked our (school) leadership groups to design posters," said John Gaiptman, superintendent for School District 61. "We really want our students to be reminded constantly about handwashing, coughing into the crook of their elbow, using disposable tissues. We're seeing better hygiene practices in schools than anywhere else."
The chief medical health officer for the Vancouver Island Health Authority agrees, calling hygiene at schools "impressive."
"They are doing very well," Dr. Richard Stanwick said of South Island schools. "We used to use our schools as a way to see whether influenza had arrived. The good news is (schools are) a poor indicator this year, which is a great phenomenon."
Greater Victoria schools have been recording more absences than last year, Gaiptman said.
A policy of "if you're not feeling well, stay home" contributes partly to that. But the difference in absenteeism over last year isn't huge -- 10 per cent on average, which in most schools translates to one or two students in addition to the expected number staying home sick.
The school district hasn't tallied the number of absences and doesn't record why students stay home, Gaiptman said.
The superintendent for Saanich School District, which administers schools from Royal Oak to North Saanich, has been keeping track of the number of absences related to the flu. It's a very small proportion -- less than one tenth of all absentees.
Despite the small numbers, "(H1N1) is evident in all our schools and in large enough numbers for us to be concerned about," Elder said.
In the Victoria district, 380 hand sanitizer dispensers were installed in almost 50 schools, costing $5,000. The district has asked teachers and staff to set an example for students by using sanitizer and washing hands often.
With a shortage of the H1N1 vaccine in Canada, Gaiptman wonders low long schools can keep up this pace of good hygiene.
"I gotta tell you, we are ready for the vaccine," he said. "We just feel like sometimes we're the finger in the dike holding back the water. I'm very worried that, at some point, it's going to hit many of us."
ecardone@vicnews.com
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