The flu might be coming soon to a body near you. Meanwhile, it's on the minds of health and education leaders making plans for flu preparedness in schools, homes and hospitals.

Health care professionals should get a flu vaccine, and school staff should also be on the list of people eligible for the vaccine because of where they work and how diseases spread in a school setting, according to Wendy Hord, NYSUT health and safety specialist.

Hord is a member of NYSUT's pandemic flu work group, established to address member needs with preventive care. Group members are preparing fact sheets about prevention, emergency supplies, caring for family members, flu hygiene, collective bargaining issues and protection for health care workers.

In August, the state education and health departments issued a joint letter on pandemic preparedness, based on monitoring the avian influenza virus that has spread through Asia and parts of Europe and Africa. It primarily affects birds, but the letter said there is "significant concern" the virus could change, resulting in a worldwide influenza epidemic.

"In a severe pandemic, all employers - including schools - will experience a dramatic reduction in their work force," the joint statement to school administrators reads. "Many schools may close ... Available evidence indicates that school closure (perhaps as long as 12 weeks in duration) early in a pandemic may significantly reduce influenza transmission."

Health officials will notify school authorities if a school should close. Planning information can be found at www.pandemicflu.gov, which has packets designed for educators.

Hord said the NYSUT work group is looking at the avian flu strain "but our big campaign right now is preparing for the seasonal flu." More than 30,000 people a year die from the flu, she said.

"We want to get people in better habits to prevent seasonal flu so if a pandemic hits they're going to be in a better position because of hygiene habits," said NYSUT Vice President Kathleen Donahue.

Tips from the experts include:

• Wash hands with warm water frequently for at least 20 seconds. Viruses can survive on hands for hours, and washing hands regularly decreases chances of getting sick, even in a deadly pandemic.
• Health care workers should get an annual flu vaccine. The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases states that employers of health care workers "need to commit resources toward institutionalizing immunization in the workplace."
• If you're sick, stay home. "Going to work is not good for your own recovery, and you're exposing other people to your illness," Hord said.
• Get your local union involved with your school district's pandemic flu planning because of impacts on negotiated contract terms.
• Stock supplies at home, including water, non-perishable food and medicines.

Darryl Alexander, AFT's health and safety program director, has recommended to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that, with a pandemic flu, health care workers use a respirator at least as protective as the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-certified N95 respirator, a gown, gloves and eye protection.

Check www.nysut.org for updates, www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/communicable/influenza/pandemic.