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The ABCs of Swine Flu on the Upper West Side

By DNAinfo Staff on November 30, 2009 7:47am  | Updated on November 30, 2009 8:17am

By Carol Anne Riddell

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

UPPER WEST SIDE — Five-year-old Jude Brooks can you tell you a thing or two about germs this flu season.

“If you wash your hands, the germs get off. If you don’t wash your hands, the germs get on,” he explained.

And in case you missed the significance of that, Brooks wisely added, “They can make you sick.”

Brooks is a student at the Mandell School on the Upper West Side, and like a lot of city students this season, he's learning the ABC’s of swine flu prevention. 

Last week, solemn kindergarteners at the school lined up one after the other, hopped on a stool, pumped soap and scrubbed. Repeat.

A student at the Mandell School on the Upper West Side shows off clean hands.
A student at the Mandell School on the Upper West Side shows off clean hands.
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Gabriella Rowe, head of the Mandell School, said she’s seen an early outbreak of flu this year. The exact number of flu cases that resulted from the H1N1 virus cannot be confirmed, but Rowe says the protocol is the same for all sick kids.

“If your child has any fever, has any serious coughing, exhibits any serious signs of illness they must stay home,” she said. “That’s the only way we’re going to be able to minimize the spread in school.”

Like many schools, Mandell will be offering H1N1 vaccinations to families who request it.  And despite questions over the vaccines, the school has seen a fairly high response rate.

School nurse Maryellen Pribish says about two-thirds of those eligible for the shot have signed up to get it — and that’s on top of those who already received the vaccine from pediatricians and clinics.

Although the school is taking the necessary precautions when it comes to the health of their students, Rowe emphasized that they are maintaining a balance with the day-to-day business of a proper educational environment.

Rowe said she refused to ban the morning tradition of handshaking. Instead, she altered the routine.

“The children come through the door, they all put some Purell on their hands and they rub, rub, rub and they wait for it to dry. And then they shake hands as they go into the building.”