AACAP has been following the media coverage about the H1N1 (Swine Flu) pandemic. Keeping our Annual Meeting attendees safe and healthy while traveling to and attending the Annual Meeting in Honolulu is of utmost concern to the AACAP leadership and staff.

As of August 17, 2009, the World Health Organization is not recommending that there be travel restrictions related to the outbreak of the H1N1 virus. Travelers can protect themselves and others by following simple prevention practices such as:

• Avoid touching your mouth and nose
• Clean hands thoroughly with soap and water, or cleanse them with an alcohol-based hand rub on a regular basis (especially if touching the mouth and nose, or surfaces that are potentially contaminated)
• Avoid close contact with people who might be ill
Practice good health habits including adequate sleep, eating nutritious food, and keeping physically active

If you are feeling symptoms of the H1N1 virus, such as fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue, you should not travel and stay at home, avoiding contact with others as much as possible.

As a preventative measure, AACAP will provide Annual Meeting attendees with antibacterial hand soap to use throughout the meeting. As of August 17, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is not recommending the use of facemasks in community settings as there is a very limited chance that the use of facemasks would prevent the spread of the virus. Should these recommendations change, AACAP will provide facemasks for Annual Meeting attendees as a preventative measure.

AACAP suggests that you stay informed about the H1N1 virus; more resources are available at:

The World Health Organization: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/
The Centers for Disease Control: http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1FLU/