School Nurses are committed to the following goals:
Identifying students with health needs and assisting with accessing health care
Educating students, school staff, and the community at large in healthy lifestyle practices
Reducing health-related student absences
The Center for Rural Health Innovation offers Telehealth services to the students and staff of Avery County Schools. Enrollment forms must be completed in order to be seen by a Health-e-Schools Nurse Practitioner. Appointments can be made by contacting the school nurse or sending an email to this address. Here is the ENROLLMENT LINK.
THE 30 CALENDAR DAY RULE
Students entering Avery County Schools for the first time must be up to date with the required immunizations for North Carolina. This includes new admission to Pre-K or Kindergarten, as well as transfer students from another state or in-state transfer. A student has 30 calendar days from the date of entry to have a completed immunization record on file or the proper exemptions. At the 30th calendar day, if the immunization record is not fulfilled the student must be excluded from school until the matter is resolved.
(NC Immunization Law General Statues of NC Chapter 130A, Article 6)
MENINGOCOCCAL MENINGITIS DISEASE
Meningococcal meningitis disease is a serious, potentially fatal illness caused by bacteria. Symptoms may resemble the flu but progress rapidly and can often cause death within two days. For those that survive, long term effects can include brain damage, seizures, hearing loss or limb amputations.
Meningitis is contagious and is spread through air droplets and direct contact with infected persons. It can be spread through coughing, sneezing, kissing or sharing items like drinking glasses, lip balm, eating utensils, or cigarettes.
Adolescents and young adults are at increased risk of contracting this disease. The reason for the increased risk may be due to lifestyle factors common among these age groups, such as living in crowded situations (dormitories), going to bars, smoking, and irregular sleep habits.
However, the majority of cases among adolescents are preventable by vaccination. The vaccine is a covered benefit, paid for by most major insurance companies and Medicaid. Additionally, the vaccine is available to VFC-eligible children that meet the ACIP recommended coverage groups listed below. Children through 18 years of age who meet at least one of the following criteria are considered VFC-eligible:
Medicaid eligible: A child who is eligible for the Medicaid program. (For the purposes of the VFC program the terms Medicaid-eligible and Medicaid-enrolled are equivalent and refer to children who have health insurance covered by a state Medicaid program)
Uninsured: A child who has no health insurance coverage
Indian (American Indian or Alaska Native): As defined by the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603)
Underinsured: Children who have commercial (private) health insurance but the coverage does not include vaccines, children whose insurance covers only selected vaccines (VFC-eligible for non-covered vaccines only), or children whose insurance
Meningococcal immunization is required for the following age groups:
Two doses. One dose is required for individuals entering the seventh grade or by 12 years of age, whichever comes first, on or after July 1, 2015. A booster dose is required for individuals entering the 12th grade or by 17 years of age, whichever comes first. Individuals who entered seventh grade before July 1, 2015 are not required to receive the first dose. The booster dose does not apply to individuals who entered the 12th grade before August 1, 2020. If the first dose is administered on or after the 16th birthday, a booster dose is not required. Individuals born before January 1, 2003 shall not be required to receive meningococcal conjugate vaccine.
In addition to being vaccinated, young adults can reduce their risk for contracting the disease by not sharing eating utensils, beverages, cigarettes, etc.
For medical advice about meningococcal immunization, consult your physician, college health service or local public health department.
Annual Student Health Information Sheet and Health Condition Action Sheet
Return to Learn Accommodation Plan
Health Assessment: Download and print form front and back on blue paper as per state recommendation. NC Health Assessment must be completed by a health care provider on first time admission into a NC public or charter school.
Request for Medications to be Given at School: Students who need medication prescription or Over the Counter must have the medication request on file at school. This form must be completed by a health care provider and signed by a parent of guardian.
Keep Your Germs from Spreading:
Wash your hands often and well with soap and water, or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze (with a tissue if possible).
Stay home if you are sick.
Things to keep in mind:
Viral and bacterial infections spread easily from person to person in fluids from the nose, mouth, and throat of someone with the infection, especially through large droplets from coughs and sneezes.
The best prevention is with good hygiene.
Hand washing
Cover the cough or sneeze.
Stay home if you are sick.
Be familiar with the following ACS board policies.
ACS Fever Policy # 6128
ACS Contagious Illness policy #6122
Staff or Student tests positive but does not have symptoms:
The person can return to school 5 days after the positive test results. The person should wear a mask for an additional 5 days unless an exemption to mask use applies.
*Students who test with a school nurse, produce a doctor’s note, or take a screenshot of a home test with their name and date on it will be given an excused absence for days related to positive test results.
Staff or Student tests positive and has symptoms or had symptoms:
Person can return to school when it has been at least 5 days after the first day of symptoms AND It has been 24 hours since the person had a fever (without using fever reducing medicine. AND other COVID symptoms are improving). The person should continue to wear a mask for 10 days after the first day of symptoms unless an exemption to mask use applies.
*Students who test with a school nurse, produce a doctor’s note, or take a screenshot of a home test with their name and date on it will be given an excused absence for days related to positive test results.
*Pre-K students MUST wear a mask upon returning to school from a positive test, unless a mask exemption applies, for 10 days from the day symptoms started or from the positive test if the child had no symptoms.
Contact tracing is no longer recommended. Staff or Students who have been in contact with a positive person (even if in the home) do not need to stay out unless they have symptoms.
The use of e-cigarettes is unsafe for kids, teens, and young adults.
Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development, which continues into the early to mid-20s.1
E-cigarettes can contain other harmful substances besides nicotine.
Young people who use e-cigarettes may be more likely to smoke cigarettes in the future.
The use of e-cigarettes is unsafe for kids, teens, and young adults.
CONCUSSIONS
Review the "Return-To-Learn: Academic Accommodation Plan Following Concussion" form
Complete the online concussion training form and click submit
HEALTH CONDITIONS IN THE SCHOOL SETTING (INTERACTIVE PPTX)
Download and view the Powerpoint presentation
Complete the Medical Conditions Quiz form and click submit
If you would like to join and be a part of our School Health Advisory Counsel, please contact Dawn Hicks
