Curriculum

If you have any questions about symptons or illness you can call 13HEALTH (13432584) 24 hours a day, seven days a week or contact your regular health practitioner.

For more information visit the Queensland Health Government Web Site or the Australian Government Influenza Information Page or see FAQ about the Influenza

Click here to see how to wash your hands correctly.

Proctecting yourself and others - click here for more tips.

Influenza A (Swine Flu) and good hygiene tips

Good hygiene practices while coughing or sneezing, and regular hand-washing, are major factors in preventing the spread of any infection including Influenza A.

However as parents and carers of young children, we all understand how difficult it can be to get kids to wash their hands at the correct times - and to do it properly!

Keep children at home if they are sick

As school resumes for Term 3, parents are being urged to keep their children home if they are sick with flu-like symptoms.

Queensland now has more than 1600 confirmed cases of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (Human Swine Influenza).

Symptoms of human swine flu are similar to seasonal influenza and include a fever, cough and/or sore throat. Other symptoms can include fatigue, myalgia, headache, body aches or chills.

Queensland Health says one of the best ways to stop the spread of the flu is to keep sick children home and encourage good hygiene.

If children are sick the best thing to do is keep them away from school and other events such as socials and sporting carnivals. This might mean that some children will miss interstate and other planned school trips.

People generally have to be mindful that there are some who are more at risk from swine flu so those who are sick need to do the right thing and stay at home from school and work.

School closures remain an option in very limited circumstances but the likelihood of disruption during the new school term has lessened.

Queensland is now in the "protect" phase in managing the influenza outbreak and parents need to be aware that while most people who contract the flu are making rapid and full recovery, some who are particularly vulnerable need to seek medical help at the onset of flu-like symptoms.

The essence of the "protect" phase is to concentrate on the early treatment of those in the community who may be more vulnerable to severe outcomes if they contract the virus.

Those identified as being vulnerable include pregnant women, Indigenous Australians, people with respiratory disease (including asthma and COPD), heart disease, diabetes, renal and liver disease, obesity and immunosuppression.