Personal Protection

Personal Protection CRAIG McVAY, FORMER SUPERINTENDENT, ROFF ELEMENTARY: "One of the things that came out when the second grade boy came down with H1N1 was, "What could we have done?" NARRATOR: In Oklahoma, danger can strike without warning. When faced with perilous, life-threatening circumstances, it's essential to be ready. Anticipating the worst will help you plan for the best. So, plant the seeds for preparedness and let safety take root. It all starts with a grassroots game plan. Today's game plan: Personal Protection. McVAY: "When I was superintendent at Roff, we had the first child diagnosed with H1N1. We had 40% of our student body out the next week. The thing that you see in Hollywood—in the movies—were all of the things that ran across our path when we were discussing, "What do we do? We have Swine Flu." KRISTY BRADLEY, DVM, MPH STATE EPIDEMIOLOGIST & STATE PUBLIC HEALTH VETERINARIAN: "If we have a pandemic, it's all hands on deck and there are so many things that come into play. Please stay home. Keep your child home from school if they're sick. We don't want you spreading your germs to others, because that only complicates the problem." BRADLEY: "The workplace is a very important setting where we would ask businesses to think about planning for a pandemic. What would you do? Would you be able to stagger your hours? Can you change the layout of your offices so that you can put at least six feet between workers? And that will help prevent the spread of infectious agents." McVAY: "You don't have to get elaborate. Wash your hands and get immunized. It takes about 3 seconds. Go in there. Sit down. Pull your shirt sleeve up and get a shot. Protect yourself." NARRATOR: When danger strikes, be ready. Prepare your grassroots gameplan today. A message from the Oklahoma State Department of Health.