Are U.S. Schools Ready For The Next Pandemic?

After a study led by Terri Rebmann, Ph.D associate professor at SLU's Institute of Biosecurity was released, the data showed that most schools in the U.S. are not prepared for bioterrorism attacks, pandemics, or infectious outbreaks to hit. Though there is no immediate threat or speculation these events will come sometime soon, it is best to be prepared for them; especially after events such as the H1N1 pandemic back in 2009. After the study, Dr. Rebmann and her colleagues found that only 48% of schools address pandemic preparedness, and only 40% of schools have updated their pandemic preparedness plans since the H1N1 outbreak in 2009. For this study, there were over 2,000 nurses in elementary-high schools surveyed in 26 different states. So why is this a big deal and how does it affect us? Influenza and other infectious diseases are communicable, which poses a big problem in school settings since children often come in very close contact with each other. Because of this, it is pertinent that schools have prepared nurses, faculty and staff to minimize situations as they occur. As a future educator, I think that it is important for not only nurses to be prepared for pandemic, but I also find it important that all school staff be given training on the schools pandemic preparedness plan, which should be updated often. The more information and preparation that is out there for school staff, the more likely it is that the spread of influenza and other disease can be prevented.

For more information on this study and it's findings, visit:
Majority of U.S. Schools Not Ready For Next Pandemic, Researchers Say