Schools closing for flu

[Busydoingsomething]

A school near me has partially closed due to staff shortages. Another has cancelled all performances. Some of the children will have been vaccinated but I suspect, lots of the staff won’t have been. I was listening to 2 people today, on the train, discussing whether school staff should be vaccinated, to prevent the staff being off and impacting on education. Wondering if this would be a good move.

Its Darwin evolution in action- the thick and stupid die quicker than the smart.

What is tragic is thick as shit parents imposing their views on science on their children. A child of 6 with bad flu can end in tragedy,

Yes but we used to have a higher staff to child ratio and so if staff were off poorly then there were still enough to cover the classes.

Flu vax is not free for teachers. I pay for mine every year.

My class had one teacher and over 30 children. As did all the other classes. No teaching assistants. We large numbers were off we combined classes or would be taught in the school hall. Office staff nursed sick kids. Not sure why you think there were more staff?

I agree.

My primary offered it in schools in late November , not even 2 weeks ago , so the vaccine isn't even effective yet.

I got mine vaccinated in early October , nearly 2 months before most of their classmates, but I had push my GP to do it who seemed to think it was the schools who should sort it.

My GP agreed when I pushed back, but the nurse in the GP practice still gave me a fucking patronising lecture, like I was gaming the system- despite offering to pay.

We’ve never been offered it, apart from one year when we were told we could, alongside the kids but they “forgot” to be true adult doses so we never got it in the end.
Post-Covid, everyone has been saying how schools are vital infrastructure and must never close but yet staff aren’t considered important or valued enough to be given a jab. We didn’t qualify for Covid jabs when they first came out either.
Well, you reap what you sow. Place-marking for the inevitable whingeing on here when parents can’t work as their kids are sent home as no one to teach them.

I disagree schools are telling people to send sick kids in. The guidance states if it's a mild cold and they feel well enough send them in. Are we really saying anyone with a mild cold should be not going to school/work etc, that is madness.

Primary school kids were the priority as they are super spreaders, high schools were done second, in my area

I understand it's busy and hard to get appointments in some places but I don't understand why people would wait till mid December to get it. I always book for September or early October, waiting till now would mean you might catch it before you got the jab.

Teachers could have got it at half term. No good this year but maybe something to think about for next year.

Some schools pay for their teachers

I get myself and both teens a flu jab every year. Have to pay because both teens are older than the ones who get it at school. I remember 15 years ago when ds was in reception, I got flu and I could barely move. So since then I’ve got jabbed every year. Im only in my 40s, but flu is vicious at any age.

I think people don’t realise that you can pay for it and that it’s pretty easy to get at a chemist like Boots. Can book a Saturday if can’t get out of work in week.

This is true. At my eldest’s school kids were vaccinated right after half term and loads of them have been really ill and off for a week or so with what is believed to be a strain that wasn’t covered end November/start of December. Still a pretty good idea to offer a flu vaccine to school staff though as at least it reduces overall risk

Did you quote the wrong person?

I'm encouraging vaccination not hazmat suits and needless isolation and bleaching vegetables

Polio- iron lungs in every developed country until they developed a cheaper wooden one which also helped with chest pressure. Huge expense and mortality. Children would spend a few months with supported beathing until they recovered (hopefully) or died. Those who didn't die may have been crippled. Then a vaccine was found, and polio was eradicated. Now social media has done it's own research and discovered vaccines are unnecessary. Polio is on it's way back.

Because sadly they believe all the misinformation out there, there's huge distrust in vaccines since the Covid pandemic. People seem far more willing to believe rubbish spouted by non-experts and ignore actual experts. I've said this before, if we have a really serious pandemic that has a high mortality rate, many will die simply because they think they know better and won't get a vaccine. Sad state of affairs.

That’s in America and hasn’t been peer reviewed.

@hmmnotreallysure got you. I’m really sorry things are financially hard for you right now. I totally feel you. My income this year is a lot lower than expected and I’m having to juggle a lot as well. Are there any community or free clinic programs that could help?

We’re in Scotland and were able to get our flu shots for free but for the first time ever I wasn’t eligible for a Covid shot even though I have a long term illness. They’ve reduced eligibility a lot this year and a private shot costs £85 each for my husband and myself. I bristled at the cost a month ago but based on how the illnesses are going around, we may rob Peter to pay Paul and get them.

That study is not reliable though, for reasons already explained by a PP.

We used to get it, nurse came to school and administered to those who wanted to take it up. When Covid vaccine came out we were allowed time to go and get this IF we wanted it. Now we don’t get either of those options and it’s so hard to fit in going between working all week and all the demands running up to Christmas with events at work and children’s schools or clubs. This is the first day I’ve had off (usually part time) only because I said weeks ago I had plans. I’ve been covering the absences for the last 3 weeks.

Do they not vaccinate the kids every year at school? DDs definitely had one every year at primary school, it was just a nasal spray.

Laws have changed. Without the correct staff:child ratio you have to shut. That’s why.

They offer it, it's not mandatory.

Lucky them. None of mine have.

On a different note my classes have been full of kids sent into school with high temps and hacking coughs for weeks.

What do people expect will.happen?