Flu preparedness workshop set

BOARDMAN --The country is gearing up for the fall and winter flu season and schools are involved in planning for the worst.
Health-care teams from 23 school districts across the tri-county area have registered to attend a pandemic influenza preparedness workshop from 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Holiday Inn. Pandemic refers to the disease occurring over a wide area and affecting a very high percentage of the population.
Dr. Nancy Mosca, coordinator of the School Nurse Program at Youngstown State University , one of the sponsors, said schools are being asked from the national level to prepare for a pandemic flu outbreak in light of the bird flu that has hit Asia.
The workshop is designed for school nurses, administrators, guidance counselors, safety and security personnel and school disaster response team members at schools in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties.
It will cover what school personnel must do to prepare for, recognize and respond to a potential pandemic influenza event and will include a history of pandemics, public health response to infectious disease outbreaks and state/local pandemic influenza preparedness planning for schools.
Other sponsors are Columbiana County Health Department, East Liverpool City Hospital, Help Hotline Crisis Center Inc., Mahoning County District Board of Health, Ohio Department of Health, School & amp; Adolescent Health, Ohio State University Office of Workforce Development and Center for Public Health Preparedness, Trumbull County Health Department and the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Public Health Preparedness.