Calhoun County: flu H1N1, not seasonal

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - The flu-like illness that closed three middle schools in Calhoun County is likely H1N1 and not the seasonal flu, the county's health director told 24 Hour News 8.

"Our surveillance would suggest that the entire load of influenza-like illness is due to the pandemic influenza," Dr. Greg Harrington said. "There's no evidence that we have the typical or routine seasonal influenza currently circulated."

Some Calhoun County schools are seeing as many as 30 percent of students sick with flu-like symptoms. Athens Middle School, Lakeview Middle School and Harper Creek Middle School are closed.

"It didn't surprise me," said Wendy Davis, the parent of a student at Harper Creek Middle School who is also a physician's assistant. "I've heard from other people that it's going around. We've seen it in our office so there's a lot of flu around. Closing the school and keeping the kids away from each other is a good idea."

The Calhoun County Public Health Department is watching districts around the county, not just the ones that are closed.

"We've asked the schools to keep track of school absenteeism and to report when those numbers start to hit the critical mass of 20 percent," Harrington said. "Then, we keep in track of them by phone."

Parents shouldn't be keeping kids home from schools that aren't closed, unless of course they're sick, the health department medical director said.

But he is worried that parents -- and adults in general -- are not talking the flu seriously. Harrington points out it can be deadly, even in populations that don't normally suffer serious consequences from the seasonal flu.

Kids with the day off should not be spending time with groups of classmates, he said.

"In a regular seasonal flu situation, where you have more immunity in the group in the children, you might be able to get through a flu season without any special mitigation, without any special changes," Harrington said. "However, this is very different. This is a pandemic virus and none of these children have any immunity and none have them have been vaccinated yet. And it seems to be highly infectious."

His department -- which already has been vaccinating medical providers -- is now vaccinating pregnant women by appointment.

And starting Tuesday, healthy children in Calhoun County ages 2 to 24 can get vaccines at the Toeller building in Battle Creek, 190 E. Michigan Ave. from 8 to 11 a.m. and from 1 to 4 p.m. The clinic will run while supplies last and is scheduled to continue on Wednesday and Thursday. You can call (269) 969-6363 for more information.