| Kippreport.com

Swine flu scare is extending summer holiday

September 17, 2009 12:46 by Aarti Nagraj

It also said that schools will have to close down if 10 percent of the students had flu-like symptoms.

However, in the UAE, the education ministry officials have asked parents not to urge schools to shut down because of the flu scare.

“Parents have no right to confirm H1N1 infections without knowing the facts right. It is the job of the Ministry of Health to examine suspected cases and keep a record,” Humaid Mohammad Obaid Al Qutami, Minister of Education, told Gulf News. “Schools are keeping the ministry informed as and when there are cases of infections in schools.”

Meanwhile, according to reports, education authorities in Sharjah have just ordered a private school to shut down after six students were diagnosed with swine flu, and 72 other students were suspected to have got the virus. While the ministry has already closed down one school in the emirate, few other private schools in Sharjah have shut down as a precautionary measure.

The good news is that according to experts, the H1N1 virus is not too harmful for children. “It’s mildest in kids. That’s one of the really good pieces of news in this pandemic,” said Dr Marc Lipsitch of Harvard University during a recent meeting of flu experts in the US.

Pages: 1 2

Tags: Bahrain, closing, gcc, Oman, postpone, Saudi, school, shut down, swine flu, UAE