Published: Wednesday, 10th June, 2009 2:32pm

Swine flu hits our schools

by Angela Murphy

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ANGRY parents are demanding schools to be shut down after five pupils have been confirmed as the latest victims of swine flu.

Council bosses have confirmed that pupils at St David"s Primary in Johnstone, Kirklandneuk Primary in Renfrew and St Benedict"s High in Linwood have contracted the virus.

A girl from the P2/3 composite class at St David"s Primary is in quarantine this week after testing positive for swine flu.

Her 25 classmates were issued with Tamiflu at a meeting on Monday night after concerned parents were informed.

At the time of going to press, another pupil in the same composite class was confirmed as having the flu, but was already taking the medication.

Parents have expressed grave concern as the school is situated within the West Johnstone Campus - where two schools, a community learning centre and a nursery are housed in the same building.

Angry mum-of-three Cathleen Smith of Greenend Avenue blasted: 'The whole campus should be shut down and properly sanitised.

'There is no way that only one class is going to be affected.'

A number of mums and dads rushed to the Craigview Avenue school on Monday to withdraw their children after rumours spread like wildfire.

Director of Public Health for Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Doctor Linda de Caestecker attended the meeting to reassure parents.

She told the Gazette: 'There is no need to panic because children recover from this flu easily.

'There is no evidence to show that closing the school would contain the spread.

'There is lots of flu in the community just now but school pupils are young and healthy.

'We can have another meeting in the near future, but the priority for us was to offer the medication to the children in the class where a child tested positive for the flu and to give information to parents.'

Every parent has now been sent a letter from Renfrewshire Council containing information about the case and symptoms to look out for.

A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said: 'Two pupils tested positive at Kirklandneuk Primary and one at St Benedict"s High.

'None were in attendance at school during their period of infection.

'A letter of reassurance was sent to parents of pupils at all three schools.

'Everything we do is guided by advice from public health professionals.

'The decision on whether to exclude year groups as a precautionary measure is based on a careful assessment of all the factors.

'We fully understand parents" concerns and all the public organisations involved are doing all they can to communicate as quickly as possible with parents.

'That can initially involve contacting up to 200 parents by phone in a couple of hours.

'When that has been required we have managed to contact up to 90 per cent of parents to arrange for them to collect Tamiflu capsules and meet with public health and education officials to have their questions answered.

'Alternative arrangements have been made for parents who couldn"t attend the schools to collect the Tamiflu capsules.

'Parents have also been sent letters and information packs on the influenza. We will continue to keep the situation under review.'

All three pupils were not attending school at the time they were diagnosed, therefore their classmates were not excluded. As many cases are being treated at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, there are fears that the flu will spread across Renfrewshire.