October 29, 2009 - Flu season is getting an early start, as many schools have begun reported closures in an effort to prevent the spread of the highly contagious H1N1 flu. On Thursday, October 29, the Associated Press reported that more than 350 schools were closed the previous week alone due to high numbers of absent students with flu-like symptoms. To date, more than 600 schools have closed to prevent the spread of illness.
When schools close, students who rely on the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program may struggle to access healthy and balanced meals. In August, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released guidance and a waiver application regarding a provision in the National School Lunch Act that allows the Summer Food Service Program and Seamless Summer Option to operate so that school districts can serve children who are not in school due to unanticipated school closures. School nutrition operations nationwide are working hard to ensure that their programs can continue to serve children should their schools close in response to an H1N1 influenza outbreak.
Earlier in the fall, SNA’s School Nutrition Foundation (SNF) partnered with USDA to present a webinar detailing specific requirements for submitting waivers and reviewing emergency preparedness recommendations.
Click on the link below to access resources and tools from the USDA and other government agencies that are designed to guide school nutrition programs facing an H1N1 flu outbreak. This website will be updated as new information becomes available.
To access a transcript of the SNF Special Webinar, “Providing Meals to Needy Children During an H1N1-Related School Dismissal,” visit www.schoolnutrition.org/h1n1webinar.
H1N1 (Swine) Flu Resources