FluPrep© was created in September 2005 to prepare the Georgetown Preparatory School Community against the threat of human pandemic influenza raised by the recurring avian influenza.

During the 2005-2006 academic year the foundation for the FluPrep© program was laid.  An exploratory group of faculty and administrators was convened to determine the level of awareness at Prep about the avian flu threat, the education needed to assess the threat presented to Prep, and the appropriate response of the school to the threat.  The group pooled their knowledge about avian flu, researched relevant topics on the issue, consulted experts in infectious disease, and concluded that pandemic influenza indeed presents a threat to the community for which the school must prepare and to which the school has a responsibility to respond.

This exploratory group with some adjustments became a steering group, formed to guide the development of the FluPrep© program.  The goal of the program is school community preparedness to prevent, mitigate and respond to pandemic influenza.  The group concluded that preparedness for pandemic flu would not be wasted effort should the pandemic not appear soon.  In fact, the group decided that this would be an excellent vehicle by which to raise student and family awareness of unintended, but nonetheless real, consequences of global connectedness, that of the more rapid potential for spreading infectious disease around the world.  More basically, the group reasoned from the here and now of our own community and began by asking “what can we do to take care of ourselves.?” Their heightened awareness of promoting better health and hygiene in our specific school community helped them to look outward to the larger world in which we live.

The group also believes that the FluPrep© program is a means by which to:

• educate the community about the science and control of infectious disease
• establish local, even personal responsibility for protection of our school community
• develop community leadership for community protection
• train effective non-professional responders to identify and respond effectively to potential incursions of disease, even prevent the introduction of potential sources into the community

The group was guided by a recognition that Hurricane Katrina demonstrated that none of us can rely on outside help in the event of emergencies, including that of infectious disease.  In short, the group learned that “the cavalry ain’t comin’” must be a principle for organizing the FluPrep© effort against pandemic, and that preparedness should be set up to meet a “worst-case” situation. They concluded what others have learned: that “hope is not a strategy” for dealing with pandemic. 

The steering group realized that real work was needed to establish Prep preparedness.  The strategy set up was to:

• Involve everyone, but probably not all at once
• Integrate the FluPrep© effort with other emergency planning and educational efforts where possible
• Exercise the plans made to make sure they will work

Next, they had to find out where the school currently stood - or rather how ready Prep was right then to deal with a pandemic should it appear on campus that day. A good deal of self-assessment was needed early on.  The steering group authorized:

• a medical review the operations of the the school nurse’s office, the annual seasonal influenza inoculation program and the nurse’s office understanding of the needs of responding to pandemic
• development of an infectious disease monitoring program to extend its early warning system (set up for Prep to lower the risk of allowing SARS to enter the community) to pandemic flu, and, in time, beyond. They also monitored the travel of Prep community members to areas of the world with know infectious disease outbreaks beginning with the resident students and then to be extended to others as soon as practical. They also monitored community visitors who could bring infections to the community.
• considering making mandatory the immunization of students against seasonal influenza
• assessment of medical response needed in case of pandemic influenza reaching the community including the equipment, supplies, staffing that would be required, the procedures for control of highly infections, serious disease, the community resources and linkages needed to back up Prep in case of surge needs or higher levels of care required for a pandemic, the inventory requirements of an extended pandemic, and the budgetary implications of medical preparedness
• assessment of other supplies and services that would be needed in an extended pandemic that included water, power, gas, food and all staffing requirements necessary to cover for absenteeism estimated to reach 25 to 40% in a severe pandemic
• the design of methods to make changes to the current culture of the school community in areas relevant to effective response to pandemic. This included hygiene in general – “cough and sneeze etiquette,” handwashing, sports programs conduct, responsible attendance policies and incentives for the entire community (not just students), pay and tuition policy clarity to address potential pandemic-caused school closings and extended absenteeism, and communications methods improvement for the rapid, precise message delivery needed for pandemic response
• begin thinking about how to involve other members of the community in the preparedness effort and asking questions such as "Could everyone be involved to do something?", "What education was needed, what curriculum changes could be made?", "In what sequence and way should people be introduced to the FluPrep© program?", "What type of outreach should be made to others in our region?", and "How can Prep help in the regional, state and national preparedness arenas?"

Contact Donald Frazier for more information about this engagement.