Gov. Timothy M. Kaine announced measures Virginia is undertaking to protect against the H1N1 flu virus Tuesday. The state has developed an H1N1 action plan and vaccination will be a key part of the effort to protect Virginians.

The Virginia Department of Health expects to begin immunizations among particularly susceptible groups upon receipt of the H1N1 vaccine in October. The VDH anticipates having enough vaccine to immunize everyone who wishes to protect themselves against this new flu strain.

“As we prepare for the fall flu season, we are taking reasonable and prudent steps to help control transmission of the H1N1 virus in Virginia. We will continue to focus on activities that will keep Virginians safe and healthy, especially susceptible groups such as children as they return to school,” says Kaine. “I am particularly proud of the great teamwork we have seen between our public health system and our public and private school systems, including local health directors, public health and school nurses, school officials and teachers.”

The Virginia action plan concentrates on five objectives:

- Monitoring the transmission and behavior of the virus.
- Lessening the impact of the disease that it causes.
- Vaccination to prevent infection.
- Working with the clinical community to ensure appropriate care for those who are infected.
- Providing the public with timely, accurate and understandable information.

Kaine joined state Health Commissioner Dr. Karen Remley at Samuel Tucker Elementary School in Alexandria to highlight measures that can help protect communities from the H1N1 virus. A strong partnership between state agencies and school systems is a vital part of the state’s comprehensive efforts to protect the health of students, faculty and staff from the H1N1 influenza virus.

“There are several effective measures that communities, particularly schools, can take now to protect against the H1N1 flu virus,” says Remley.

Recommended actions include:

- Advising faculty, staff, parents and students to stay home if they are ill or have flu-like symptoms including fever, cough, sore throat until they have been without a fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.
- Encouraging faculty, staff and students to receive a seasonal flu vaccination as early as possible.
- Tracking flu-like illness in students, faculty and staff and reporting sudden increases in such illnesses to the local health department.
- Updating emergency plans to ensure that all contact lists are up to date and that childcare is available if a student needs to stay home.
- Promoting good hand hygiene and respiratory practice, including the washing of hands frequently, the use of hand sanitizers when necessary and the covering all coughs or sneezes with a tissue or sleeve.

The Health Department is also working in consultation with the clinical community to develop a voluntary, statewide HIN1 influenza vaccination campaign. It is expected that this vaccine will become available in October through many of the same avenues that seasonal flu vaccine is provided.

To date, more than 2,000 Virginia physicians, clinics, pharmacies, retail stores and other vaccine providers have pre-registered for the state’s H1N1 vaccination program, signaling their initial interest in serving as a vaccination site. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends early H1N1 vaccination for pregnant women, children, health care workers and emergency medical service providers.

The Virginia Department of Education is working with the health department to establish a state-wide absentee reporting system to enhance the health department’s ability to track where illness is in the state. The department has also issued Pandemic Influenza Plan Guidelines for Virginia Public Schools and developed a dedicated H1N1 Influenza Website.

For more information about H1N1 influenza virus, click on the links below or call toll free 1-877-275-8343.