If your child had had suspected (been swabed) swine flu - would you tell their school?

[Hulababy]

I would have assumed most, if not all, parents would do this - out of common coutersy if nothing else.

However looks like this is not the case for the little girl in the class I work at.

She has been swabbed for swine flu following a couple of days off school (over a weekend) and is now back in school, albeit still a little sniffly and carriny around dirty tissues leaving them lying all over the classroom. She is also a very tactile little girl and always touching staff and other children. We are Y1.

School got a call from the HSA yesterday to inform them of the swabbing and to give their advise re school procedures.

The child has now been back in school two days and mum has still not thought to inform school at all. She has had ample opportunity as the class teacher was speaking to her yesterday regarding her water bottle and not wanting others to drink from it.

So, what would you do - would you tell school if it was your child?

My ds has got suspected swine flu (they're not swabbing any more but doc thought it was likely) and I will be ringing his school and the nursery I work in in the morning to ask them what they would like us to do. There are children with fragile immunity in both places and I think their parents should have the opportunity to decide whether they want them at school or not when there is a suspected case

Hope DS recovers speedily Greensleeves; not nice when the LOs are poorly.

And yes I agree, schools often have people at greater risk or suppressed immunity so IMO informing school, as you should after things like chicken pox, should happen.

Perhaps the mum is aware that the school have already been informed via HSA...and she is just going along with what she has been instructed to do....

The procedures for Swine Flu have been changed today and the Goverment recognise that this disease can no longer be contained...

I must admit I've got to the stage that if I;m going to get it...I'd rather sooner than later during the summer months there is a better chance of quick recovery....

Unlikly from what I can gather though

Seems very odd not to and to have sent her back still with symptoms. ds has been unwell but if they had thought it swine flu have had plenty of opportunties to test and say so. Even so other kids have suggested it to him.

I phoned up as soon as I got back from the GP's.

DS2 is still off school today (he is going back on monday)

I think it is extremely important to notify the school if your child has suspected swine flu, if only because it is spreading more rapidly than can be contained.
IMO, it is not fair to the other pupils or staff to not alert the school that there is a suspicion. In saying that, I know of one mum whose DD had suspected, and she was concerned that alerting the school was going to result in her DD being treated differently, and that her family would be blamed for any potential cases on the school. One would hope this would not be the case, but ultimately, IMO it is your community responsibility to alert the school.

We had three suspected at my school a couple weeks ago, and the three parents phoned the school, and one in particular was phoning she said because she was mainly concerned about the pregnant staff (we currently have five pregnant staff...including myself), and since tamiflu has not been tested on a pregnant woman, and MD's are not entirely sure what effect, if any, it might have on the fetus...anyway, thats getting away from the point of the post

I think it is extremely important to notify the school if your child has suspected swine flu, if only because it is spreading more rapidly than can be contained.
IMO, it is not fair to the other pupils or staff to not alert the school that there is a suspicion. In saying that, I know of one mum whose DD had suspected, and she was concerned that alerting the school was going to result in her DD being treated differently, and that her family would be blamed for any potential cases on the school. One would hope this would not be the case, but ultimately, IMO it is your community responsibility to alert the school.

We had three suspected at my school a couple weeks ago, and the three parents phoned the school, and one in particular was phoning she said because she was mainly concerned about the pregnant staff (we currently have five pregnant staff...including myself), and since tamiflu has not been tested on a pregnant woman, and MD's are not entirely sure what effect, if any, it might have on the fetus...anyway, thats getting away from the point of the post

sorry, not sure why that posted twice!

We have had confirmed swine flu at DS1s school about a month ago and the advice was that people awaiting test result for swine flu should isolate themselves.

BTW why was the teacher talking to the girl's mother about other people not drinking from her DD's water bottle.what was the mother supposed to do about that?

katiestar - the girl had mispplaced her water bottle which wasn't labelled. It was the mum who didn't want others sharing it.

Thing is, if she's back at school then presumably the doctors have approved that as she's past the infectious stage. Am sort of giving the mother the benefit of the doubt here, but she might have been well advised and not wanting to panic anyone. Though I agree it does seem a bit useless not to tell the school.

Should have added Hulababy, if it is Swineflu and your school is infected don't worry too much. Ours is full of it and though it's not nice, it's mostly presenting as no worse than a summer cold and seems to pass quickly.

I'm not worried as such. What will be will be and all that. So long as if I do get it it is in term time and not in my holidays!!!