HEALTH ALERT: Consideration of relaxing requirement for doctor’s note

HEALTH ISSUE ALERT

TO: Superintendents of Schools
FROM: Susan A. Gendron, Commissioner and Dora Anne Mills, MD, MPH, Director, Maine CDC
DATE: November 6, 2009
RE: HEALTH ALERT: Consideration of relaxing requirement for doctor’s note

Due to the increased incidence of influenza like symptoms in school-age children in the past two weeks, we are asking you to consider relaxing your policies (those of you that have the policy) of requiring a doctor’s note for any student who is out for three days or more for medical reasons. Several requests have come in from provider offices that are currently inundated with calls and office visits of children presenting with influenza-like symptoms for the purpose of getting a doctor’s note. In many cases the physician’s offices are not able to generate a note due to the high demand. There is concern that the need for doctor’s notes will place undue pressure on the health care system and also that, because of the demand, students may be delayed in getting notes and thus delayed in returning to school.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), children may return to school once they are fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medicine. Some school districts have a protocol/policy that children out for three or more days require a doctor's note. During a pandemic such as this, that may not be reasonable or practical as the health care system is dealing with an incredible volume of calls and children presenting with influenza-like illness (ILI). We are not requiring a change in policy, but ask you to please consider adjusting this protocol (temporarily) as we work our way through this wave of H1N1.

For More Information

If you have questions regarding any of the items in this Health Alert, please contact the Maine CDC at 888-257-0990 or flu.questions@maine.gov or Nancy Dube, the Department’s school nurse consultant, at 207-624-6688 or nancy.dube@Maine.gov .

Also, visit the Maine DOE H1N1 web page and the Maine CDC H1N1 page (click on schools)

NOTE: This Health Issue Alert is being archived as Informational Letter #46.