Region tops swine flu cases
Health bosses today admitted that the West Midlands has been badly hit by the swine flu outbreak – as pupils at a Black Country school queued for anti-viral drugs.
Health bosses today admitted that the West Midlands has been badly hit by the swine flu outbreak – as pupils at a Black Country school queued for anti-viral drugs.
The region has now had 604 cases of swine flu – the highest in the country – with 145 extra people being confirmed yesterday. Across the country, there are now 1,752 cases. Today around 1,300 school pupils, staff and families were expected to queue for Tamiflu at a Smethwick secondary, which has had to shut its doors since Thursday.
Two people from Shireland Collegiate Academy, in Waterloo Road, have been diagnosed with the illness and health bosses were handing out Tamiflu as a precaution.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) says it is expecting to see the figures increase in the autumn as the weather turns cold – but that the country is well prepared for the rise.
Faraz Yousufzai, from the HPA, said: "We cannot stop swine flu spreading, we can only slow it down. The West Midlands has been hit badly, but we don't know the reasons for it.
"We expect that what has happened in the West Midlands will soon start to replicate itself in other parts of the country. We are already seeing that in areas like Scotland, for example.
"A vaccine is being prepared for the autumn, and the Health Protection Agency is well prepared, we are quite optimistic about being able to deal with it."
Shireland Academy closed on Thursday and is expected to remain shut until Tuesday.
Sandwell Schools boss Ian Jones said: "There are 1,300 people expected to turn up between 10am and 4pm. No-one unconnected to the school needs to turn up."
Pupils were sent home on Wednesday with letters informing their parents of a four-day closure.
At nearby Christ Church C of E School in Albert Street, Oldbury letters were sent home telling pupils that the father of a pupil was suffering from swine flu.
Nine schools in Birmingham have had to shut to prevent further outbreaks.
More than 28,000 cases of swine flu have been detected in 74 countries and 144 people have died so far. The first death in Australia happened today. A 26-year-old succumbed to the disease.
The only death in the UK so far is Jacqui Fleming.
