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‘There’s swine flu at school, but don’t panic’
Head feels she is ‘sitting on the Titanic’
PARENTS at a primary school shut following the swine flu outbreak have been told “not to panic” despite concerns over access to treatment drugs.
Beckford Primary School in West Hampstead was closed on Tuesday the day after one child tested positive for the H1N1 virus. It is expected to reopen on Monday.
Four more children were confirmed as having swine flu on Tuesday, and dozens more staff and children have reported flu-like symptoms and are being “swabbed” by doctors in their homes.
At Hall School in Belsize Park, which was hit by the virus on Tuesday, the Health Protection Agency immediately set up a special treatment clinic in the school where all Year 7 pupils were given the Tamiflu anti-viral and others were tested.
But Beckford parents have been told to wait at home for a GP to visit and, if found to be positive for the virus, have been told to go to University College London Hospital to collect Tamiflu prescriptions.
Beckford is believed to be the first school in the country where children coming into contact with swine flu victims have not been routinely prescribed Tamiflu as a precautionary measure.
Headteacher Dilys Hoffman said: “My issue with the Tamiflu is that stocks are only available centrally. There is one colleague who lives in Barnet and they have been able to get Tamiflu from their local chemist. But we are being told to travel all the way to University College London Hospital in central London. I think it should be available closer to the school, or even in it.”
She added: “Swine flu is making inexorable progress – it is rampant. You do not need to leave the country to catch it.
“At times I feel like I’m sitting on the Titanic – but we are not talking about the bubonic plague here. The confirmed cases appear to be responding very well.”
Seven cases had been confirmed at Hall School in Belsize Park yesterday (Wednesday), although the independent junior school did not close following advice from the Health Protection Agency.
Hall School headteacher Philip Lough said: “I have spoken to the parents and the children are all recovering well at home. It is a mild flu, but not very nice as well. They have temperatures of around 38-39.
“I can assure you there was no extra pressure put on the Health Protection Agency (HPA) by us to open the clinic. The situation is changing day by day and different schools have different priorities.
“The clinic was set up on HPA advice – we must put our faith in them because they are dealing with this day to day.”
During Camden’s first swine flu outbreak, at South Hampstead High School in May, more than 100 pupils and staff were immediately prescribed Tamiflu after one Barnet girl was found to have the flu.
The HPA, which handles the flu outbreak nationwide, said it had changed its approach “from prevention to treatment”, according to a spokeswoman.
She added: “It is much milder than we thought a fortnight ago. We are treating it as a seasonal flu now.”
An NHS Camden spokeswoman said: “In all cases such as this the priority is for NHS Camden and the HPA to ensure that Tamiflu is supplied to everyone who is medically assessed as needing it.
“In this case [Beckford] people were directed to UCH because it is a well-known point in the borough and easily accessible.”
NHS Camden continues to work closely with the Health Protection Agency and Camden Council to monitor the situation.
Anyone who is concerned should call the Swine Flu information line on 0800 1 513 513 or contact their GP or NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.” |
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Your comments:
And south camden community school, a girl in year9 has been diagnosed with swine flu along with a pupil at nursery at Richard Cobden Primary school.
R. Chowdhury
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