Closing schools ineffective against swine flu: N.B. medical officer

The Department of Health isn't planning for any school closures this fall even as swine flu cases in New Brunswick have spiked in recent weeks.

Dr. Paul Van Buynder, the deputy chief medical officer of health, said in an interview on Monday that it is likely children will catch the swine flu virus when classes resume in September, but shutting down schools wouldn't do much to protect them.

"Your chances of being infected are just as high in the supermarket or the local sports park as they are in the school settings,' Van Buynder said.

"So for that reason, I think we would need special circumstances before we start imposing on the education department to close their schools."

He said it's up to parents to use common sense when children show symptoms of H1N1, such as keeping them home from child care, summer camps and later this fall, from school.

Swine flu cases increasing

The number of swine flu cases has risen sharply in recent weeks.

There are now 41 confirmed cases in New Brunswick after eight more were added on July 16. On June 30, the province recorded its 10th case of the H1N1 virus since the global outbreak started in late April.

Van Buynder has said that the actual number of cases is likely higher because some people who were infected by the virus were not sick enough to see a doctor and were never counted.

So far, only one New Brunswick resident sick with swine flu has required hospitalization.

Van Buynder said he expects about one in five New Brunswickers will contract swine flu during the upcoming flu season.

The development of the Canadian supply of vaccine is on schedule, he said, and doctors and health-care workers will be the first to be vaccinated.

Last week, an 11-year-old girl who was attending a summer camp near Saint John was diagnosed with swine flu.

New Brunswick isn't the only province dealing with kids coming home from camp early with fears of swine flu. Dozens of children at three summer camps in Ontario's Muskoka region have been sent home after an outbreak of swine flu last week.