Immunization and Vaccine Information

• Having a bed bug infestation does not mean your home is not clean
• A true infestation is unlikely in the school
• Students should limit the items they bring to school

• Red, itchy bite marks on the skin that usually appear in clusters or lines
• Bites can cause irritation (redness, raised skin, inflammation, and burning skin)
• Bites can even cause hives (or other allergic reactions)
• Small blood stains on mattresses or other furniture from crushed bugs
• Small, dark (black or reddish-brown) spots on bedding, furniture, or walls (droppings)
• Shedded skins (translucent, bed bug-shaped shells left behind as they grow and molt)
• Eggs (pale yellow or white) often found in cracks or crevices
• Musty Odor:a sweet, musty smell (usually in severe infestations)

• Bed bugs can travel on coats, purses, backpacks, and luggage
• They can be transported from other people's homes or hotels
• Bed bugs can infest furniture--upholstered or "soft" furniture like couches, chairs, and mattresses are common places bed bugs can nest
• Bed bugs can even hitch a ride on some items you wouldn't expect, like books
• Bed bugs are small enough to crawl through very tight spaces, so if you're living in an area with other people nearby (like apartments, condos, or hotels), bed bugs can travel to other units

• Launder all cloth items (clothing, bedding, etc) in hot water (~140 degrees Fahrenheit)
• Dry items on the highest heat setting for a minimum of 30 minutes
• Steam clean mattresses and furniture where the bed bugs may be hiding
• Vacuum the mattress and surrounding areas daily
• You may need to consult with a professional; bed bugs are notoriously difficult to eliminate

What are head lice?

•  Head lice (Pediculus capitis) are tiny insects that can live on the scalp and neck hair of a human host
• Approximately 6-12 million children are infected with head lice each year
• Head lice are NOT a health hazard, and are NOT responsible for the spread of ANY diseases

Quick facts about head lice

•  Anyone can get head lice, but preschool and elementary aged children (ages 3-11) and their families are infested most often. Personal hygiene, cleanliness in the home or school, and frequency of brushing or shampooing has nothing to do with getting head lice
• Head lice are parasitic insects and need blood to feed on each day
• Head lice cannot survive for more than a day or so at room temperature without access to a person’s blood
• Head lice CANNOT jump or fly (they can only crawl)
• Head lice are transmitted by direct contact with a person’s hair or indirectly through objects, such as combs, brushes, or hats
• Pets CANNOT transmit head lice

What do head lice look like?

There are three forms of lice: the egg (also called a nit), the nymph, and the adult.

• Nits are lice eggs. Characteristics of nits:
  • Small (about the size of a knot in thread)
  • Hard to see
  • Often confused for dandruff or hair spray droplets.

Nits are laid by the adult female at the base of the hair shaft nearest the scalp. They are firmly attached to the hair shaft. They are oval and usually yellow to white. Nits take about 8-9 days to hatch. Eggs that are likely to hatch are usually located within 1/4 inch of the scalp.

• The nit hatches into a baby louse called a nymph. It looks like an adult head louse, but smaller. Nymphs mature into adults about 9-12 days after hatching. To live, the nymph must feed on human blood from the scalp.
• The adult louse is the final form of lice. Adult louses:
  • Are about the size of a sesame seed
  • Have six legs
  • Tan to grayish-white in appearance. In persons with dark hair, the adult louse will look darker.

Females, which are usually larger than the males, can live 3-4 weeks and deposit more than 100 eggs at a rate of 6 eggs each day. Adult lice can live up to 30 days on a person's head. To live, adult lice need to feed on blood. If the louse falls off a person, it dies within 1 or 2 days

• Tickling feeling of something moving in the hair
• Itching, caused by an allergic reaction to the bites
• Irritability
• Sores on the head caused by scratching

How did my child get head lice?

• Head-to-head contact with an infested person is the most common way to get head lice
• Head-to-head contact is common during play at home and school (sports activities, on a playground, slumber parties, at camp)
• Less commonly: coming into contact with objects that have recently come into contact with a person’s head who has head lice (such as clothing, combs/brushes, bedding, or stuffed animals)

Treatment is a 3-step process: use of a lice killing agent, nit removal, and environmental clean up.

Lice Killing Agent

• The most important step in treating head lice is to treat the person and other family members with lice medication to kill the lice
• Head lice shampoo can be purchased at any drug store over-the-counter, or you may see your physician for a prescription, if preferred
• FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS COMPLETELY AND THOROUGHLY
• There are no over-the-counter or prescription treatments to kill head lice that are totally safe and scientifically proven to be 100% effective against head lice and nits
• Since head lice shampoo may contain pesticides, do not retreat sooner than 7-10 days later if live lice continue to survive.

Nit Removal

• THE BEST TREATMENT FOR REMOVING NITS IS MANUALLY, as complete nit removal is key to successful head lice treatment
• Work in a well-lit area or use a flashlight and a magnifying glass
• Divide the hair into sections and fasten off the hair that is not being worked on
• Go through each hair section from the scalp to the end of the hair
• Use your fingers to pull off any nits found
• Move to the next section of hair until the entire scalp has been checked
• Screen for nits and head lice every day for 10 days and then regularly thereafter

Environmental Clean Up

• To kill lice on bedding, clothing, etc., wash in hot water and dry
• Items that cannot be washed (stuffed animals, comforters, etc) should be placed and sealed into a plastic bag for 2 weeks
• Vacuum furniture and carpets
• Pesticide sprays are NOT recommended, as they have not been proven to be effective and they can be a health hazard
• Combs, brushes, and hair accessories should be washed in HOT water to dislodge any lice or nits

• AVOID head-to-head contact during play at home and at school
• DO NOT share clothing, such as hats, scarves, coats, sports uniforms, or hair ribbons
• DO NOT share combs, brushes, or hair accessories.
• DO NOT lie on beds, couches, pillows, carpets, or stuffed animals that have recently been in contact with person who is known to have head lice

Measles is a rash illness that is caused by a virus. It spreads easily from person to person. Because most people are vaccinated or have had the disease, measles is rare in the US. However, it does still occur in the United States as a result of travel to or from areas where measles is more common. Measles may cause serious illness such as pneumonia (lung inflammation) and encephalitis (brain swelling) and can be fatal in young children.

• Runny nose
• Cough
• Fatigue (tiredness or sleepiness)
• Loss of appetite
• Fever
• Spots inside the mouth that look like grains of salt (Koplik Spots)
• Light sensitivity
• Conjunctivitis (pink eye)

Measles is spread by contact with the nose or throat droplets of an infected person. Coughing or sneezing near someone else or touching objects with nose or throat fluids on them can spread the illness.

It is highly contagious and the virus can remain in the air for up to two hours. People with measles can spread the disease approximately 4 days before they even get a rash, and up to 4 days after it starts.

Because measles is caused by a virus, antibiotics do not help the condition. There are no medications used to treat measles. Treatment only helps with the symptoms of the illness.

The MMR vaccine is safe and good at preventing measles.

Anyone can get meningococcal disease. Certain people are at increased risk, including:

• Infants younger than one year old
• Adolescents and young adults 16 through 23 years old
• People with certain medical conditions that affect the immune system
• Microbiologists who routinely work with isolates of N. meningitidis, the bacteria that cause meningococcal disease
• People at risk because of an outbreak in their community

The symptoms of pertussis typically occur in three stages:

1. Stage 1: cold-like symptoms (slight fever, sneezing, runny nose and mild cough)
2. Stage 2: begins about 1-2 weeks later; the cough becomes more intense. There may be quick, intense coughing spells followed by a long gasp for air with a “whoop” sound. Coughing fits may be followed by vomiting, nose bleeds, or bluish color to the lips or face.
3. Stage 3: Cough is less intense and less frequent. The cough eventually stops, but this may take months.

*Some babies (infants) who have pertussis may not have a cough. Instead, they may turn blue, or have difficulty or pauses in breathing (apnea).

Pertussis is spread by contact with nose or throat droplets from an infected person (from them coughing or sneezing). An infected person can spread the disease for up to three weeks from the time the cough begins. However, after five days of antibiotics, the infected person can no longer transmit the disease.

Pertussis can be treated with antibiotics. While antibiotics make pertussis less contagious, they do not get rid of the cough unless taken very early in the illness. Individuals who live in the same house as a person with pertussis should receive antibiotics to prevent spreading it to others.

Other close contacts, such as people at high risk for severe pertussis or who have contact with those at high risk for severe pertussis, may require antibiotics as well.

The best way to prevent pertussis is by staying up to date with pertussis vaccines. The diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTaP) vaccine is a 5-dose series for children under 7 years old.

Preteens should receive a dose of the tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap) vaccine. Teens and adults who have not received a dose of Tdap vaccine should also get one dose of Tdap.

Pregnant women should get one dose of Tdap during each pregnancy. It is very important that anyone having contact with an infant be fully vaccinated with the correct pertussis vaccine for their age. Tdap can be given no matter how much time has passed since the last dose of tetanus vaccine.