Peninsula schools first to experience high absenteeism due to flu virus Public H1N1 vaccinations underway ... BY PAUL HERRIDGE The Southern Gazette

Several hundred people of all ages waited in line at the Dodge Building in Burin Friday afternoon to get the H1N1 vaccination. Eastern Health announced the expanded clinics for those most at risk Thursday. Vaccination clinics for the rest of the general public began throughout much of the province yesterday. Paul Herridge Photo

It’s one of those reverse cases where coming first is not so good.

Schools on the Burin Peninsula were the earliest in Eastern School District to begin reporting high rates of absenteeism last week due to the H1N1 flu virus. As the week progressed, the trend spread throughout the entire zone.

Eastern School District CEO and Director of Education Ford Rice acknowledged Thursday the board had been tracking attendance data for students, teachers and support staff since the beginning of the school year in September.

He confirmed the first indications the situation was changing came from administrators in the Burin Region the weekend before last.

By the start of the school week on Monday, Oct. 26, he said it had become “quite evident” several schools in the area were experiencing attendance issues.

The board, which had initially been monitoring attendance on a weekly basis, has now switched to daily updates for every school in the district.

Mr. Rice indicated 20 per cent absenteeism has been set as a point of reference for concern. Thursday, six schools in Burin Region were above the mark.

Those included Marystown Central High School, Pearce Junior High School in Burin, Lawn’s Holy Name of Mary Academy, Fortune Bay Academy in St. Bernard’s-Jacques Fontaine, Marystown’s Sacred Heart Academy and St. Joseph’s All-Grade in Terrenceville, where the first signs of a decrease in attendance were originally reported.

Thursday’s absenteeism rates ranged anywhere from 21 per cent in Lawn up to 69 per cent in Terrenceville. 

Mr. Rice suggested many parents were adhering to the Department of Health’s ‘clean, cover, contain’ message and sending their children to school. Some were keeping students home if they were showing flu-like symptoms. 

“There are others, of course, who then are taking precautionary measures, I guess, to keep their children home rather than send them to school.”

He acknowledged the board was now in uncharted territory and couldn’t predict whether rates would rise or come back down.

Mr. Rice indicated a meeting including all administrators in Eastern School District to articulate the H1N1 action plan was held in August. Another meeting took place Thursday for all principals in the zone to give them an update on the latest information.

He confirmed parents are asking a lot of questions related to H1N1 on “a whole variety of issues” – from student attendance to Eastern School District facilities being used by Eastern Health for immunization centres.

On that note, he indicated the gymnasiums in 23 of the district’s 122 schools will be utilized by the health organization in the coming weeks. He pointed out Eastern Health was instrumental in helping the board develop an H1N1 action plan several months ago.

Mr. Rice acknowledged school activities in those gyms are on hold during the vaccination process – although efforts are underway to find alternatives including sharing between neighbouring schools in some areas.

In the interests of student safety, the gymnasium areas will be off limits to students and staff during the clinics. Eastern Health will also be providing security to ensure the public does not have access throughout the buildings.

“Is this inconvenient for schools? Yes, of course it’s inconvenient, but from our perspective, we’re doing everything we can (to help).”

PROTEST

A group of parents of students at Fortune Bay Academy organized a protest outside the school Thursday morning, before then moving on to Eastern Health’s public health clinic, also located in St. Bernard’s-Jacques Fontaine.

The parents were calling on Eastern Health to hold vaccination clinics in schools for students before vaccination the general public.

Alice Parrott, who spearheaded the demonstration using online social website Facebook the day before, said the group was hoping to make a statement that vaccinating students first in their own schools was the best way to proceed.

“I mean we got 140 kids at Fortune Bay Academy. There’s about 130 at St. Joseph’s in Terrenceville and probably the same at Christ the King School in Rushoon. (Those are) the three schools in this area that the public health office looks out to.

“How long would it take to do those children?”

Mrs. Parrott suggested the same process of vaccinating school students first should be followed in all communities and not just her own. 

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that’s the simplest way to do it.”

IMMUNIZATION SCHEDULE

Eastern Health expanded immunization clinics throughout the region for those most at risk of developing complications from the virus this past Friday, which continued over the weekend, with the Dodge Building in Burin among the locations.  

Meanwhile, the aforementioned protest may have had some influence. Health Minister Jerome Kennedy announced late Thursday afternoon that school children would be the next priority after high risk individuals were immunized. Education Minister Darin King then indicated children would in fact be vaccinated in schools after all.

Eastern Health’s previously announced mass immunization schedule came into effect yesterday, Nov. 2. Locations and times are being updated daily with residents asked to check the Eastern Health website at 'www.easternhealth.ca'.

Eastern Health is reminding the public to bring an MPC card to the clinics if you have one and to wear clothing allowing easy access to the upper arm.

You should also be prepared for some traffic congestion at the largest sites and a possible lengthy wait, particularly during the first few days. Those who receive the vaccine must stay at the clinic 15-minute afterwards.

Children under 10 years of age will require a second dose of the vaccination. More information will be provided on the follow up at the time of immunization.