FRIDAY, Aug. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued guidance for colleges and universities to plan for and respond to the upcoming flu season.
The CDC announced the new guidance at an Aug. 20 news conference with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education. Noting that the H1N1 swine flu virus disproportionately affects young people, CDC officials recommend isolating the sick from the healthy, vaccinating high-risk groups, encouraging hand washing, and covering the mouth when sneezing or coughing.
Officials emphasized the importance of using innovative communication strategies to reach out to students. Along those lines, CDC officials have created a special toolkit and social media tools for sites such as Facebook and Twitter for administrators and students.
"With this guidance, we're providing a menu of strategies that institutions can use to keep their facilities open, while doing what they can to reduce exposure of students, faculty, and staff -- particularly those at higher risk for complications -- from the flu," education secretary, Arne Duncan, said in a statement.
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