School's Out: Limiting the Spread of H1N1 Influenza

Transmission of influenza depends on several factors, including social contact. To examine whether an association exists between school closure (during the summer) and incidence of H1N1 influenza, researchers analyzed virologic data from Alberta, Canada, during the pandemic of 2009.

The results of mathematical modeling (which took changes in temperature and humidity into account) showed that school closure for the summer substantially reduced the incidence of H1N1 influenza, whereas school reopening was associated with an increase in incidence. School closure reduced transmission of H1N1 influenza by more than 50% among school-age children.