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Source: http://michiganmessenger.com/28353/flu-like-illnesses-shutting-down-schools-across-michigan
Flu-like illnesses shutting down schools across Michigan
By Todd A. Heywood 10/20/09 3:55 PM
Schools across Michigan are shutting down because of the appearance of a flu like illness.
Kalamazoo County Health Department says several districts in the county will shut down for the next two days, and individual schools in two other districts are shutting down, reports the Kalamazoo Gazette.
Officials in Kalamazoo said the schools are being shut down because of excessive absences experienced on Monday. Officials in this southwestern Michigan county have sent samples to the Michigan Department of Community Health to determine if the illnesses were caused by Influenza A (H1N1) 2009, commonly referred to as swine flu.
In Clinton county, health officials advised the St. Johns schools to shut down one of its elementary schools for the week as a result of excessive absences. East Olive Elementary School was shut down, the Lansing State Journal reports, because of reports of an ?influenza-like illness? which lead many students to stay home Monday. The school will reopen Oct. 26.
Officials from the Mid-Michigan Health Department did not return calls from the Lansing State Journal, so it is unknown if H1N1 is a suspect in the illnesses.
In the Upper Peninsula, the Escanaba Daily Press reports that two local schools are being shuttered because of excessive absences from flu-like illnesses. Rapid River Schools will be shut down Tuesday and Wednesday, while Holy Name School will close for Tuesday. Holy Name tells the newspaper that 28 percent of its students were absent Monday.
In Dollar Bay, the school has closed for Tuesday, after nearly 25 percent of the student body had fallen ill from flu-like illnesses, reports the Fox affiliate there.
In west Michigan, ABC affiliate WZZM 13 reports that schools in Grand Rapids, Saranac, and Ada are also closing as a result of flu-like illnesses. Grand Rapids based Millbrook Christian School, a Calvinist affiliated pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade private school, told the station 32 percent of its students were ill Monday. In Saranac, the district reports that nearly 23 percent of its students were absent. Ada Christian School is also impacted the station reports.
Millbrook will not hold classes Tuesday and Wednesday, and students already had Thursday and Friday off for teacher planning. Saranac schools will close Tuesday and Wednesday as well, while Ada Christian School will close for Tuesday.
Meanwhile, in Calhoun county, health officials are saying the excessive absences for flu-like illnesses are likely H1N1 2009 infections, according to WOOD TV 8 the NBC affiliate in Grand Rapids. In Calhoun, three middle schools have been shuttered. They are Athens Middle School, Lakeview Middle School and Harper Middle School.
The county?s medical director had this to say to WOOD TV 8:
WEYI, the NBC affiliate in Saginaw, Midland and Bay City, reports that the Linden Public Schools have had three confirmed cases of H1N1 2009. Two of the cases are Hyatt Elementary School students and Monday a Linden Middle School student was diagnosed with the virus. The schools intend on staying open, at this point.
In northern Michigan, the East Jordan Public Schools and the Evart Public Schools will be shut down Tuesday and Wednesday as a result of an outbreak of flu-like illnesses, reports News 9 & 10.
The MDCH website on flu tracking in Michigan shows Clinton county clocked in 175 cases of flu-like illnesses, which included confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1) 2009 in the week ending Oct. 3. There were no numbers for the week ending Oct. 10. Meanwhile in Kalamazoo county, the state reports 158 cases in the week ending Oct. 3 and 221 cases in the week ending Oct. 10. The state does not break out the number of H1N1 cases are in that total.
Symptoms of influenza A(H1N1) 2009, the official name of the virus officials say is causing a global pandemic, are described on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website:
A vaccine is available for the virus, and health officials recommend people getting vaccinated with both the H1N1 2009 vaccine and the seasonal flu vaccine, which addresses the viruses scientists guessed months ago would be wide spread this flu season.
The vaccine is supposed to be administered to pregnant women, childcare workers who work with children under 6 month, anyone age 6 months to 24 years of age, health care workers and anyone under age 65 with a condition which could be complicated by flu? such as HIV, cancer or other immune compromising diseases and conditions.
Whether or not Michigan residents are likely to take the H1N1 2009 vaccine is up in the air. A recent poll conducted by Lansing based Epic MRA found that seven out of ten registered voters in Michigan are unlikely to get the vaccine, and nearly as many are unlikely to get it for their children, reports the Associated Press. Those poll numbers are troubling to state health officials:
Not getting children vaccinated has officials the most concerned because as of last week, the CDC has reported that 83 children have died in the United States since the virus burst onto the scene in North American late last spring. Of those, 43 were reported in September and early October alone.
In Michigan, no children have died from the disease, but 15 adults have. Five of those deaths have occurred since Sept. 1.
Flu-like illnesses shutting down schools across Michigan
By Todd A. Heywood 10/20/09 3:55 PM
Schools across Michigan are shutting down because of the appearance of a flu like illness.
Kalamazoo County Health Department says several districts in the county will shut down for the next two days, and individual schools in two other districts are shutting down, reports the Kalamazoo Gazette.
Officials in Kalamazoo said the schools are being shut down because of excessive absences experienced on Monday. Officials in this southwestern Michigan county have sent samples to the Michigan Department of Community Health to determine if the illnesses were caused by Influenza A (H1N1) 2009, commonly referred to as swine flu.
In Clinton county, health officials advised the St. Johns schools to shut down one of its elementary schools for the week as a result of excessive absences. East Olive Elementary School was shut down, the Lansing State Journal reports, because of reports of an ?influenza-like illness? which lead many students to stay home Monday. The school will reopen Oct. 26.
Officials from the Mid-Michigan Health Department did not return calls from the Lansing State Journal, so it is unknown if H1N1 is a suspect in the illnesses.
In the Upper Peninsula, the Escanaba Daily Press reports that two local schools are being shuttered because of excessive absences from flu-like illnesses. Rapid River Schools will be shut down Tuesday and Wednesday, while Holy Name School will close for Tuesday. Holy Name tells the newspaper that 28 percent of its students were absent Monday.
In Dollar Bay, the school has closed for Tuesday, after nearly 25 percent of the student body had fallen ill from flu-like illnesses, reports the Fox affiliate there.
In west Michigan, ABC affiliate WZZM 13 reports that schools in Grand Rapids, Saranac, and Ada are also closing as a result of flu-like illnesses. Grand Rapids based Millbrook Christian School, a Calvinist affiliated pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade private school, told the station 32 percent of its students were ill Monday. In Saranac, the district reports that nearly 23 percent of its students were absent. Ada Christian School is also impacted the station reports.
Millbrook will not hold classes Tuesday and Wednesday, and students already had Thursday and Friday off for teacher planning. Saranac schools will close Tuesday and Wednesday as well, while Ada Christian School will close for Tuesday.
Meanwhile, in Calhoun county, health officials are saying the excessive absences for flu-like illnesses are likely H1N1 2009 infections, according to WOOD TV 8 the NBC affiliate in Grand Rapids. In Calhoun, three middle schools have been shuttered. They are Athens Middle School, Lakeview Middle School and Harper Middle School.
The county?s medical director had this to say to WOOD TV 8:
WEYI, the NBC affiliate in Saginaw, Midland and Bay City, reports that the Linden Public Schools have had three confirmed cases of H1N1 2009. Two of the cases are Hyatt Elementary School students and Monday a Linden Middle School student was diagnosed with the virus. The schools intend on staying open, at this point.
In northern Michigan, the East Jordan Public Schools and the Evart Public Schools will be shut down Tuesday and Wednesday as a result of an outbreak of flu-like illnesses, reports News 9 & 10.
The MDCH website on flu tracking in Michigan shows Clinton county clocked in 175 cases of flu-like illnesses, which included confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1) 2009 in the week ending Oct. 3. There were no numbers for the week ending Oct. 10. Meanwhile in Kalamazoo county, the state reports 158 cases in the week ending Oct. 3 and 221 cases in the week ending Oct. 10. The state does not break out the number of H1N1 cases are in that total.
Symptoms of influenza A(H1N1) 2009, the official name of the virus officials say is causing a global pandemic, are described on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website:
A vaccine is available for the virus, and health officials recommend people getting vaccinated with both the H1N1 2009 vaccine and the seasonal flu vaccine, which addresses the viruses scientists guessed months ago would be wide spread this flu season.
The vaccine is supposed to be administered to pregnant women, childcare workers who work with children under 6 month, anyone age 6 months to 24 years of age, health care workers and anyone under age 65 with a condition which could be complicated by flu? such as HIV, cancer or other immune compromising diseases and conditions.
Whether or not Michigan residents are likely to take the H1N1 2009 vaccine is up in the air. A recent poll conducted by Lansing based Epic MRA found that seven out of ten registered voters in Michigan are unlikely to get the vaccine, and nearly as many are unlikely to get it for their children, reports the Associated Press. Those poll numbers are troubling to state health officials:
Not getting children vaccinated has officials the most concerned because as of last week, the CDC has reported that 83 children have died in the United States since the virus burst onto the scene in North American late last spring. Of those, 43 were reported in September and early October alone.
In Michigan, no children have died from the disease, but 15 adults have. Five of those deaths have occurred since Sept. 1.
