Flu worry as case is confirmed
HEALTH bosses are bracing themselves for a second wave of swine flu outbreaks after it was confirmed a high school pupil is suffering from the illness.
Two other pupils at James Brindley Science College, in Chell, have also been sent home suspected of contracting swine flu.
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KILLER: The swine flu virus.
The school, in St Michael's Road, remains open, and Stoke-on-Trent City Council has told parents not to panic.
But Kim Beaumont-Thomas, who has a 14-year-old son at the school, said she was worried.
The 51-year-old, who lives in Smallthorne, and recently had swine flu herself, said: "My child and some others recently returned from a trip to Barcelona, and the school's headteacher rang me to tell me that they had a confirmed case of swine flu. It's a tough decision whether the school should close or not. I think if you're going to get it then you're going to get it some way or another.
"I've had swine flu and so has my partner, and it is dreadful. It just takes all the energy out of you and I felt like I was dying.
"I was even coughing up blood at one point. I couldn't move off the settee for about five days."
A city-wide vaccination programme to combat a possible second wave of swine flu is set to start next month, with "at risk" groups first in line.
A spokesman for NHS Stoke-on-Trent said: "Approximately 5,500 anti-virals have now been dispensed in Stoke-on-Trent.
"We are expecting and preparing ourselves for a second wave of swine flu during the autumn term, which is when the number of people with flu tends to increase.
"We will be issuing further information on our vaccination programme shortly and have an anti-viral centre which can be opened at 48 hours notice, and we have 15 pharmacies across the city which act as anti-viral collection points."
A spokesman for North Staffordshire PCT said: "The message from the Health Protection Agency is for schools to stay open as long as possible. They should only close for operational reasons, where there aren't enough teachers."
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by L.J., Hartshill
Friday, September 18 2009, 8:15PM
“Facepalm.”
by John, staffs
Friday, September 18 2009, 5:49PM
“Well said rupert. There is no way that I am going to injected with their poison. No doubt the virus will mutate, exactly as it was engineered to in the lab where it was created.
The ones that get swine flu now are the lucky ones - they might have some resistance without the injection.
I think the word culling comes to mind.”
by Rupert, Staffs
Friday, September 18 2009, 4:54PM
“I find it disturbing that the "vaccine" was patented two years before "swine flu" even existed.
Plans are afoot in the UK to forcibly inject this substance into the whole population,which ties in nicely with the UN and World Health Organisations secretive plans to massively depopulate the planet from 7 billion to less than 1 billion.
Welcome to the "New World Order"...”
by John, staffs
Friday, September 18 2009, 3:24PM
“Swine flu is media hype. If it wasn't for the media trying to scare people into taking lethal vaccinations and use the stockpiles of tamiflu - which have a shelf life of 3 years and weren't needed for the much hyped bird flu, no-one would bother about it.
Most people would assume they had flu and wouldn't even bother the doctor with it. I've had flu. It's not nice, but it's no big deal either. Grow up”
by Raymond, Staffs
Friday, September 18 2009, 2:08PM
“Moyra, I'm not being funny or trying to be, I think by now 99.999% of the population know about swine flu. God forbid anybody dying from it. But my point is that the media is fueling mass panic. I know quite a few people that have had swine flu, none have died! but they've been very ill. There has been nothing in the news until that panorama special the other night...”
by kelly, stoke
Friday, September 18 2009, 1:27PM
“flu is awful its the young and old i feel for.the person who says they coughed up blood and sapped energy well thats flu for ya”
by moyra, Tean
Friday, September 18 2009, 12:56PM
“Raymond & Darren
Well lets just hope I havent & dont serve either of you in my filling station & that you or your family come to any harm x”
by Darren, Stone
Friday, September 18 2009, 12:29PM
“As if to prove a point I've just noticed the caption under the photo here "Killer". I'm just off to see if there's any news articles about buses with the caption "lethal weapon in the wrong hands" underneath.”
by Darren, Stone
Friday, September 18 2009, 12:27PM
“Moyra
In a roundabout way Raymond is giving you information. There is no need for a mass panic and we aren't all going to die. The good old media reported that something like 1 in 8 people were going to have it. It's been nothing like. And the death toll is still low.”
by moyra, Tean
Friday, September 18 2009, 10:39AM
“Dear Raymond
I suppose you think your really funny !! My little girl has swine flu and as a parent I am extremely worried so information is a big help as I work with the public and she has been going to school. So keep your silly comments to yourself or is it that you have nothing better to do with yourself. Get back under your rock”