INSERT DATE

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PRINCIPAL’S NAME

PRINCIPALS’S ADDRESS

Dear [INSERT PRINCIPAL’S NAME],

I am writing to seek your approval and support for our participation in a very important school health initiative. The initiative, Keep Flu out of School (KFOS), is focused on keeping our students healthy, in school, and ready to learn (www.preventchildhoodinfluenza.org/school).

The KFOS initiative, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is focused on educating students in grades K-5, their families, and their teachers about the importance of annual influenza (flu) vaccine to prevent the spread of flu. Three key organizations are spearheading this effort: the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) (www.nasn.org), the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases-Childhood Influenza Immunization Coalition (www.preventchildhoodinfluenza.org), and Families Fighting Flu (www.familiesfightingflu.org).

KFOS will provide ready-to-use educational messages and materials for me to disseminate this fall throughout our school; I will also be asked to collect evaluation feedback in the spring. The ultimate goal is to provide the school community with information about the flu, flu prevention, and the importance of vaccination.

As you know, children in schools are highly efficient at spreading the flu virus, a very contagious organism that causes the flu. You may not know that flu-related illness results in approximately 38,000 million lost school days per year (CDC, 1996). In addition, flu is highly unpredictable; it can even kill otherwise healthy children:

·  145 children died from flu-associated illnesses during the 2014-2015 season

·  90% of the children who died from flu during the 2012-2013 season were not vaccinated (CDC, 2013)

·  43% of all children who died between 2004 and 2012 did not have any underlying high-risk health conditions

Flu can be prevented. For everyone six months of age and older, getting an annual flu vaccine is the most important and safest way to stop the spread of influenza among children, school staff, and in the broader community.

The nurse leaders in our school district strongly support the role that school nurses play in reducing health barriers to learning – in this case, reducing school absences due to flu. I am honored that the nurse leaders have selected our elementary school to participate in this innovative program. Feel free to contact NASN Director of Nursing Education in charge of this project, Nichole Bobo, MSN, RN, via email () if you have additional questions.

Sincerely,

______

[INSERT NAME OF SCHOOL NURSE and/or SCHOOL NURSE SUPERVISOR]