Hundreds of Schools Close over Swine Flu November 7
Many schools have been forced to close due to rising numbers of students who’ve contracted H1N1 since the flu season began. The move comes in reaction to an overwhelming number of infected children not being able to attend to school and many others who fear becoming infected taking off. School officials feel that closing their schools for short periods is the best way to allow the flu to pass before putting school back in session.
According to the U.S. Education Department there are at least 351 school that have made this move in the first weeks of October ( a number affecting at least 126,000 students across the country). This brings the number of schools that have taken this measure in the 2009-2010 school year to 600 across 19 states. Roughly 700 schools closed last spring in response to the first wave of the swine flu, this year the numbers are likely to be much higher. The flu season hasn’t reached its peak and the number of schools dealing with temporary closings is rising as time passes. With death rates that have already taken the lives of many children across the US the move is likely a sound one.
Tags: closings, H1N1, school, swine flu