Health Update

February 21, 2017

Update: PCHD has notified Fife Public Schools of three additional confirmed cases of mumps at Surprise Lake Middle School. (2-21-17). Unvaccinated and undervaccinated students will be excluded from school and able to return on March 13, 2017, barring any additional confirmed cases at SLMS.

February 13, 2017

Update: PCHD has notified Fife Public Schools of one additional confirmed case of mumps at Surprise Lake Middle School. (2-13-17). Unvaccinated and undervaccinated students will be excluded from school and able to return on March 7, 2017, barring any additional confirmed cases at SLMS.

February 8, 2017

Update: PCHD has notified Fife Public Schools of two additional confirmed cases of mumps at Fife High School. (2-8-17). Unvaccinated and undervaccinated students will be excluded from school and able to return on February 27, 2017, barring any additional confirmed cases at FHS.

February 1, 2017

Update: PCHD has notified Fife Public Schools of one additional confirmed case of mumps at Columbia Junior High School. (2-1-17). Unvaccinated and undervaccinated students will be excluded from school and able to return on February 22, 2017, barring any additional confirmed cases at CJH.

January 27, 2017

Update: PCHD has notified Fife Public Schools of a confirmed case of mumps at Surprise Lake Middle School. (1-27-17). Unvaccinated and undervaccinated students will be excluded from school beginning on February 6, 2017 and able to return to school on February 21, 2017, barring any additional confirmed cases at SLMS.

January 19, 2017

Update: PCHD has notified Fife Public Schools of an additional confirmed case of mumps at Columbia Junior High School and an additional confirmed case of mumps at Fife High School. (1-19-17)

Mumps is a contagious viral illness most effectively prevented through immunization. Parents are encouraged to ensure all family members are up to date on measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccinations.

Pierce County Health Department (PCHD) continues to investigate mumps cases among residents. Upon confirmation, letters were sent home with students who were possibly exposed. Once a case of the mumps is confirmed by the PCHD, the district begins a review of health records for all students in the affected school. To protect the community from the spread of mumps, district leadership may begin a process of excluding students and staff from school.

Parents of students without documentation of immunization for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) will receive an additional letter informing them of the date upon which exclusion from school will begin. Upon receiving the first dose of the MMR vaccine the student may return to school.

Exemptions for personal, medical, or religious reasons will be honored. However, students with such exemptions will be excluded from attending school for 25 days after the most recent case of mumps has been confirmed by the PCHD in their school. Please note that the return date may change if additional cases of mumps at a school are confirmed by PCHD.

Mumps is a highly contagious viral illness. An infected person can spread it through face-to-face contact by coughing, sneezing, or spraying saliva while talking. Student safety remains the top priority of the Fife Public Schools. Parents and community members are asked to help safeguard the school community from the spread of mumps by doing all they can to protect others from the illness.

This information page will be updated should additional cases of mumps in the Fife Public Schools be confirmed by PCHD.

*Excluded Student Return Dates by School, updated February 21, 2017

School

Return Date

Discovery Primary School

February 6, 2017

Endeavour Intermediate School

February 6, 2017

Hedden Elementary School

DNA

Surprise Lake Middle School

*March 13, 2017

Columbia Junior High School

February 22, 2017

Fife High School

February 27, 2017

January 12, 2017

Updated information from Pierce County Health Department. Fife Public Schools was notified that there is an additional confirmed case of mumps. This case is at Endeavour Intermediate School. All the procedures/information in Superintendent Alfano's letter on January 11, 2017 will apply to the new case at Endeavour.

Resources:

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January 11, 2017

To: Fife Public School Parents/Families

From: Kevin Alfano, Superintendent

Re: Pierce County Health Notification

Dear Parents;

The Pierce County Health Department has notified us that there are 3 confirmed cases of mumps in our district. The students are at Discovery Primary School, Columbia Junior High School, and Fife High School, one student per building. The information we are receiving from the health department indicates that each student was exposed away from school.

We are in the process of directly notifying the families of students at each affected school who do not have current immunizations. In addition, all families at the affected schools will be receiving additional information via email and letter.

The symptoms of mumps usually start with fever, headache, and feeling very tired. In rare cases, the person with mumps can experience pain and inflammation in the testicles or the ovaries.

If your child develops any symptoms of mumps, contact your child’s doctor or healthcare provider. Your child’s healthcare provider should test your child for mumps. Ask for a mask for your child when you enter the health care facility.

Vaccination helps to prevent mumps or lessen its symptoms. The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is given at age 12 months, and a second dose is recommended at age 4 to 6

years. Please check your child’s vaccination records and get an MMR vaccination if he or she is behind schedule. When more people are vaccinated, it helps to prevent or reduce the severity

of illness in our community.

We will continue to work directly with the Pierce County Health Department. Our custodial staffs at each building will be extra diligent in disinfecting our classrooms and common areas. We will be providing extra sanitizing supplies to each of our schools as well. Please join us in encouraging your child to wash his/her hands frequently, use the hand sanitizer, and not share utensils or school supplies. Our school nurses are available for general questions, but again, please contact your child’s doctor or healthcare provider if you have concerns about symptoms/mumps.

We also will continue to communicate directly with you as additional information becomes available.

Sincerely,

Kevin Alfano

Superintendent

Fife Public Schools

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