Preparing your community

Community information

Building resilience through business continuity and pandemic planning (for non-government organisations) - (external link).

This kit has been developed to assist you in preparing your organisation for a potential human influenza pandemic. The kit will help you understand what a human influenza pandemic is. It explains the impact a pandemic could have on your organisation, the community and the provision of services, and how important it is to have a plan in place to help your organisation cope.

It provides some practical tools and information to assist you in thinking about and developing your pandemic plan.

Experience has shown that preparedness is key to organisational and community recovery from the impacts of disasters, so investing in preparations now will pay off in the future.
For more information see the resources page.

Attending public events

There are two important considerations for people attending gatherings of large numbers of people.

People who are unwell with the disease should always isolate themselves from others and 'protect their neighbours and the community' by staying away from gatherings and trying to limit the spread of the illness.
People who are at risk of severe complications from influenza need to reconsider their attendance at such events, as contact with large numbers of people can increase the risk that they come into contact with the infection.

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Advice for community groups and organisations, schools and childcare

Download Flu & You posters for your classrooms, centres and facilities from the resources page.

School closures and student exclusion

During a pandemic, it may be necessary to close a classroom or a school in order to prevent the spread of an outbreak. Medical evidence on the spread of influenza shows transmission in schools is a significant factor in the disease’s spread. Once influenza is in the school environment it can spread quickly, impacting families and the local community. Advice on school closures will be provided at the time.

In general:

Children with flu-like symptoms should not attend school.
If a child becomes sick with flu-like symptoms at school they should be sent home.
School exclusion for children returning from particular countries overseas is no longer applicable.

Looking out for outbreaks

Influenza is a mild disease in most cases but a severe disease in some people. Prompt action is needed if pandemic influenza is suspected. This includes being able to recognise an outbreak as early as possible so that immediate steps are taken to prevent the spread of illness.
Sign of likely outbreak of influenza would be the occurrence of three new cases of flu-like illness within a three day period in a

child care centre
single class within a school or
single dormitory within a boarding school

Any suspected outbreaks of influenza should be reported promptly to your local Public Health Unit in your state and territory.

If students are ill

Children who are ill with flu-like symptoms should be cared for at home and not return to school or childcare till medication is on longer needed to suppress their fever. Once the fever subsides without medication students should wait 24 hours before returning to school or childcare.

Siblings of ill children can still attend the facility.

Boarding school students with flu-like illness should be cared for in single rooms and kept separated from other students till medication is on longer needed to suppress their fever. Once the fever subsides without medication students should wait 24 hours before returning to school.

Staff

Staff caring for students with flu-like symptoms should limit contact with other staff and students until the ill student’s symptoms have resolved.

Staff do not need to stay away from educational facilities, boarding schools and childcare centres unless they also develop flu-like symptoms.