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Hundreds of Miami County kids out of school with flu

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By Katherine Ullmer, Staff Writer Updated 4:43 PM Thursday, October 8, 2009

TIPP CITY — Tippecane High School had around 200 of 850 students absent Wednesday, Oct. 7, most probably due to illness, according to Jim Luken, Miami County Health Commissioner.

The high absentee rate caused Tipp City Exempted Village Schools to cancel all evening activities Wednesday night for the district’s middle and high schools.

Luken said absenteeism at all Miami County schools and the state, for that matter, is much higher than normal, “as much as 30 percent.”

Absenteeism in the following school districts, last reported on Friday, Oct. 2, were:

Bradford schools: 197 absent out of 618 (all grades)
Bethel schools: 44 absent out of 467 (all grades)
Covington schools: 160 absent out of 857 (all grades)

It’s hard to tell how many are absent with the flu, Luken said, since some people don’t see a doctor when they have the flu, and doctors aren’t testing for the H1N1 virus.

“It makes absolutely no sense to close the schools,” Luken said, as long as “you keep the sick kids out of it.”

If students have the flu they should stay home at least 24 hours after their temperature has gone back to normal, he said. With sick kids staying home, that “leaves schools the safest place to be,” Luken said.

The problem with after-school activities is that many parents might allow their children to “drag themselves out ill,” he said.

Luken said the Miami County Health District is out of the adult seasonal flu vaccine and does not expect to get any more this month. Some may come next month, some in December and some in January, he said, adding that “Kroger says they have an unlimited supply.”

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