50 cases of swine flu connected to Birmingham primary school
“We are continually looking at the situation and if there are still a lot of pupils and teachers affected with swine flu next week, we won’t reopen the school.”
There were 44 newly confirmed cases during Tuesday linked to the school.
In a separate case, a teenager from Worcestershire, who is a sibling of the three children confirmed last week, has also been diagnosed with swine flu following a family holiday to Orlando.
Dr Sue Ibbotson, regional director of HPA West Midlands, said: “While the illness can be unpleasant for those suffering none of the cases have been hospitalised.
“Viruses spread easily in schools and the HPA is working hard with the school and parents to limit its further spread.”
The Health Protection Agency invited all parents of pupils without symptoms into the school on Saturday and Sunday to collect anti-virals for their children at a centre manned by staff from Birmingham’s three primary care trusts.
Birmingham City Council has provided direct support to the school and its staff in terms of advice and guidance, plus helping to arrange the deep clean.
A council spokeswoman said the authority would follow any advice given to them by the HPA over when to reopen the school, which shut a day early before half term, after the first confirmed swine flu case.
“At this point we do not know if the school will reopen on Monday but it will be down to the HPA and whatever they say is best for pupils and teachers, the council will do,” said the spokeswoman.
Before half term, teachers raised the alarm with concerns over unusually high numbers of illness with at least 100 children off sick.
The Department of Health said the number of confirmed cases in the UK is now 184 with a further 113 cases currently under laboratory investigation.
The World Health Organisation says at least 46 countries have confirmed more than 12,950 swine flu cases.
A spokesman for the Department of Health has warned not to be complacent over the virus, that has killed patients in Mexico and the United States. He said localised cases of swine flu found in the UK had so far been mild.
The HPA advised that anyone worried about the virus should call the swine flu information line on 0800 1513 513, NHS Direct on 0845 4647 or contact their GP.
