Flu: It’s like Covid again, says the director, since 170 students are sick

The headteacher of a County Londonderry school has said it is like “being back in Covid times” after 170 pupils were taken ill in a single day.

Brian Guthrie, of Ebrington Primary School, said some children had to go to hospital and a small number were admitted for treatment last week.

Confirmed flu cases among adults and children in Northern Ireland have more than tripled in the last two weeks, rising from 273 to 954, official figures show.

Numbers are expected to rise and Public Health Authority (PHA) Director of Public Health Dr Joanne McClean described the current situation as an “epidemic”.

Guthrie said classroom assistants at her school were also absent due to illness.

“It hasn’t just been flu, it’s also been stomach bugs, sore throats and illnesses in other forms, but over the course of the last week, it’s been very, very challenging with the number of pupils and staff absent,” Guthrie told the BBC’s North West Today programme.

“It took me back to 2020, to be honest, attendance was worse last week than it would have been in any of the worst times, if you will, in Covid times, so, yeah, it was a bit of a shock.”

The impact of high levels of absence, Mr Guthrie said, meant teachers were unable to carry out new learning in terms of literacy and numeracy.

“It was affecting the younger children more at the beginning of last week, but towards the end of the week, we noticed that it was at the top end of the school, our P5 to P7, where we were seeing a higher absence rate, but at the beginning of last week, it was more primary one, primary two,” she said.

Seasonal illnesses, including the flu, increase each winter, but experts have predicted that this year’s flu season could be the worst in a decade.

It is affecting young people in particular and a children’s doctor in Belfast said it is the worst flu outbreak he has seen.

In the week ending November 30, children under five had the highest number of confirmed flu cases of any age group, according to the latest data released by the Public Health Agency (PHA).

During the same period, children ages five to 14 had the highest positivity rate (54.2%), meaning that although fewer of them were tested, those who were tested were more likely to have the flu.

PHA Director of Public Health Dr Joanne McClean described the current number of flu cases in Northern Ireland as an “epidemic”.

In the week to November 30 there were “almost double” both positive tests and flu-related hospital admissions compared to the previous week, he said.

“The epidemic continues to grow,” Dr McClean told the BBC’s Evening Extra programme.

“So we expect to see even higher numbers in the next week.”

Dr McClean explained that this is a “slightly modified” strain of flu called H3, which is more infectious than the usual types and appears to be affecting children most significantly.

However, he said, most children who get the flu will not need to be hospitalized.

He added that the likelihood of a child needing hospital treatment is reduced by approximately 70% if they receive the vaccine.

The PHA is responsible for flu vaccination in Northern Ireland schools, of which around 1,200 are covered by the programme.

Earlier on Friday, Dr McClean told The Nolan Show that around 40 schools in Northern Ireland have not yet been visited by the vaccination programme.

“Most of them will have had a visit next week,” he said.

“At the moment, there are some schools that are scheduled for after the Christmas holidays.”

He added that the PHA will follow up with those schools to see if anything can be done to get vaccines to them quickly and that the implementation of vaccine programs through schools ensures greater acceptance.

“As director of public health, it would be great if we could finish all schools in September, as soon as the vaccine arrives,” she said.

“But there are so many schools that we have to agree on schedules with the schools. They have to find a date that suits them and then we have to bring in nurses to administer the vaccine.”

Vaccination rates among children of all age ranges remain below 50%, according to PHA figures.

So far, only about one in four preschool children has received the flu vaccine, while about one in three post-primary children have done so.

Dr. McClean said current data is incomplete, but suggests adoption among school-aged children will be similar to last year.

“I would prefer the acceptance to be 85% to 90%. I would prefer everyone to receive it,” he said.

“So of course that disappoints me.”

• Preschool children (2 to 4 years): 25.8%
• Primary school children (P1-P7): 44.7%
• Post-primary children (years 8 to 12): 30.3%

In Northern Ireland, the flu vaccine is free for all preschool children aged two years and over, as well as all children in primary school and all children aged 8 to 12 in secondary school.

People aged 65 and over, pregnant women, people with underlying health conditions, nursing home residents and health and social care workers are also eligible for free vaccinations.

Vaccines can be accessed through GPs, community pharmacies, school programs and local Trust clinics.

People who are not eligible to receive free vaccines can still pay to receive them at pharmacies that offer vaccination services.

Derry community pharmacist Liam Bradley said demand for the flu vaccine this year has been higher than last year.

“Each pharmacy is allocated a certain quota of vaccines and we have used our quotas in all our branches and ordered more,” he said.

“There may be a temporary shortage of vaccines because pharmacies have exhausted their quota, but the Department of Health would be trying to ensure that everyone receives the vaccine.”

He said it takes seven to 10 days for the vaccine to give people protection against the flu.