INFLUENZA AND SCHOOL-BASED INFLUENZA-LIKE ILLNESS SURVEILLANCE: A PILOT INITIATIVE IN MARYLAND

摘要

On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a pandemic in response to the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus. Enormous pressure was placed on public health infrastructure worldwide to minimize the adverse potential of the pandemic, with particular emphasis on surveillance measures, including that of schoolchildren aged 5-18 years.1'2 Further, recognition of the disproportionate amount of illness and hospitalization among younger people caused by the 2009 H1N1 virus intensified the relevance of influenza surveillance in the school-age population.