Swine flu fears loom over new school year
FORT LAUDEDALE, Fla. (WSVN) -- South Florida school administrators are concerned at the rate the swine flu virus is spreading across the area, and they want students and parents to prepare.
A 17-year-old Hallandale High School student was the first known case of the H1N1 strain in South Florida after she returned from a trip to Mexico, where the first fatal cases of the pandemic were documented. She spoke on May 3rd after news of her illness forced the closure of her school. "Everyone started calling me and texting me, and they're like freaking out," she said back then. "I feel like a freak, you know?"
Hallandale High School's closure was followed by two other closures for sanitary reasons, this time in Miami-Dade County.
Aug. 24 marks the first day for 2009/2010 school year, and Swine Flu is expected to head right back to school, as well.
Scott McPherson of the Florida Pandemic Committee said it remains unclear to what degree the flu will affect the population during the month of August, but last July there were 14 documented cases of H1N1 in Florida. "We don't know if this virus is going to be better or worse than it was in the spring or summer," McPherson said.
Both Miami-Dade and Broward County Schools have devoted part of their websites to alerting parents about the H1N1 virus. "So we are prepared," said Broward Schools Superintendent Jim Notter. "As a matter of fact, today we opened up with our principals, and our health services staff did an in-depth detail with them in terms of processes and procedures."
The development of a vaccine continues, and this month testing finally begins on human volunteers, but until the vaccine arrives, prevention is the only focus. "What we're really focusing on is in using proper health procedures in keeping clean, washing our hands, how we cough and sneeze, not putting our hands in contact with anything that might spread any kind of contaminant," said Leah Kelly of the Broward School District.
If your child develops flu-like symptoms, schools want parents to keep them home, which educators acknowledge as a possible challenge during these difficult economic times. "Traditionally, where children may have stayed home with their families, I think right now we're a little concerned that parents have to be concerned about their own jobs, and that they're going to allow their children to be sent to school when they're ill," said Debbie Montilla of Miami-Dade Schools.
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