Parents were informed of the confirmed cases by the school district’s automatic phone notification system. The classrooms the students attended were fumigated and common areas they frequented were also disinfected, Alberico said.
The students were diagnosed with a rapid test that identified their flu was in the same family as H1N1, also known as swine flu, said Jackie Phillips, of the city’s health department.
“We’re seeing high influenza activity early, so it’s presumed it’s the H1N1,” she said.
Pediatricians are no longer testing for swine flu because the test is costly at $300 and children are only treated with antiviral medicine if they have another condition, such as asthma, Phillips said.
There have been 15 to 20 cases of possible H1N1 flu in the city, with 2 confirmed cases, Phillips said.
Alberico said the schools are only notifying parents of cases that have been confirmed by a doctor.
Families this week will be receiving consent forms by mail that must be signed and returned for children to receive the H1N1 vaccine at school later this month or in early November.
It is not yet known how many vaccinations will be available, Phillips said.
Phillips said consent forms are going out now so the health department and Middletown City Schools can be ready to administer the vaccine when it is available.
“We want to be ready,” Phillips said. “That also is going to give us some idea of how many people are interested in getting them.”
Anyone who does not receive the form by mail can find it online at www.middletowncityschools.com.
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