Leon County Schools Health & Nursing Services
Lorri Pilkington, RN, BSN 1208 Paul Russell Rd.
Coordinator for Health & Nursing Services    Tallahassee, FL 32301

Julie Nichols, RN, BSN Phone: (850) 487-6380
Mary Murphy, RN, BSN Fax: (850) 487-6390


                           Flu Vaccine Shortage

By now, most everyone is aware of the shortage of this year’s flu vaccine.
Only those people considered in high risk categories will be eligible to
receive the vaccine.  These categories include babies and toddlers, 6
months - 23months, adults 65 and older, people with chronic medical
conditions, pregnant woman, residents of nursing homes and long-term care
facilities, health care workers, children 6 months – 18 years old
on chronic aspirin therapy, and out-of-home caregivers and household
contacts of children aged less than 6 months.  Check with your health care
provider if you have any questions.

You can stay healthy during flu season without getting a flu shot by
following the guidelines listed below.  These guidelines come from Ann
Waltz, RN, the Immunization Specialist for the Leon County Health
Department:

• Frequently wash your hands
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue if you have a cold, then
through it away and wash your hands
• Don’t go to work or school if you are sick
• Avoid contact with the ill if you are in a high risk group
• Exercise, get 8 hours of sleep per night, stay hydrated, and don’t
smoke
In an attempt to decrease the spread of flu and other communicable diseases
in the school setting, Health Services is asking all parents to adhere to
the following guidelines:
• If your child complains of flu-like symptoms, such as body aches,
headache, chronic cough, vomiting, diarrhea, or fever, please keep your
child out of school.  If your child does not feel well, he/she is not able
to learn, and other children may become sick.
• Children must be fever-free for a minimum of 24 hours, and not
taking anti-fever medicines such as Tylenol or Advil.
• Please update emergency contact numbers at your child’s school if
you have moved or changed phone numbers.  It is very important to reach a
responsible adult in the event of an accident or illness.
• Do not send your child to school with medication.  Parents must
bring any medication to school and complete a Medication Permission Form.
This includes medicines such as cough drops and throat lozenges.
    Thank you for your cooperation.  With your help, we can keep our
children healthy and able to learn.

                  Health Screenings Are Underway

Leon County Schools Health Services has been collecting height and weight
screening data from the majority of elementary and middle school students.
This effort is part of a larger community effort to determine our
community’s current health status, develop a community-wide strategy to
improve our overall health, and update our district’s health and physical
education curriculum.

As part of the community wellness coalition, Health Services will be
calculating the Body Mass Index (BMI) status of Kindergarten, 1st, and 3rd
through 8th grade students.  After the data is collected, parents will be
notified of their child’s BMI status.  The parent letter will provide the
student’s height, weight, BMI calculation, BMI-for-age percentile, and an
explanation of what the percentile means for your child.  In addition, it
will also give information on how to interpret the results, when health
care referrals may be indicated, and will identify community resources to
assist with learning more about improving you and your family’s health.

The calculation of the Body Mass Index (BMI) is used as a screening or
assessment tool to measure the risk of chronic disease. This is not a
diagnostic tool.   Other factors involved in determining health risks must
be taken into consideration.  They are diet, physical activity level, waist
circumference, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol level, and family
history.  If your child is falls into the upper or lower ranges for the BMI-
for-age percentile, you will be encouraged to seek the advice of your
health care provider as he/she is the one who best knows your child.

For general information about Body Mass Index (BMI), or to calculate
your own BMI, please check out the following web site:
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/bmi.htm

Griffin Middle School's Health Screening Day will take place on Monday,
November 1, 2004. Letters about this information went home with each 6th
and 7th grade student on Friday, October 22, 2004.