School board hears plans to handle pandemic

HILLSBOROUGH -- If a pandemic of vaccine-resistant flu were to hit Orange County -- perhaps leaving hundreds of students and teachers absent -- the school board wants to be prepared.

Board members learned Monday night about plans the county health department is making for a potential flu pandemic, as well as plans school officials should consider.

"It's not a question of whether it will happen, it's when," said Judy Butler, community health services supervisor with the Orange County Health Department. "When a pandemic hits, it will affect normal day-to-day activities. It may be that schools have to be closed to prevent transmission."

The World Health Organization has warned that the next widespread outbreak of the influenza virus could happen within the next few years. The Spanish flu pandemic in 1918-1919 killed some 50 million to 100 million people. A more recent example, in 1957, killed one million people worldwide.

The Centers for Disease Control has recommended municipalities, schools, families and other organizations devise plans to deal with the next such outbreak.

Because of medical advances, it's likely the next such pandemic wouldn't be as deadly, Butler said. However, she told the school board Monday night, it could spread faster because of travel.

Butler said schools must decide what to do if dozens of teachers or bus drivers are absent. They must plan how to disseminate assignments to absent students, she said. Schools will also have to figure out a place to gather students who become sick at school, Butler said. The county has planned clinics for flu vaccines. However, a vaccine may not protect people from a new strain. Schools, she said, could play a role in distributing a new vaccine if one is developed to protect against a pandemic flu.

Flu pandemics typically come in waves, with several outbreaks, each lasting six to eight weeks. Frequent hand washing can slow the spread of the virus, Butler said.

If a pandemic were to happen, school nurses would likely wear face masks to slow the spread, she added.

"This may be this year," Butler said. "Hopefully not."

The county has put together several committees to hash out the issues. Still, there are many uncertainties.

"So, we don't know if teachers will get paid if they're out two, three weeks?" asked Ted Triebel, vice chairman of the school board.

"I don't know," Butler said.