With flu season in full swing and the H1N1 virus remaining a potential threat, some parents of school-age children are debating whether to keep their children home when illness strikes, as recommended by school officials.

Because of the virus and its potential to spread, school officials are urging parents to keep students out of school if that child is running a high fever, a classic warning sign that they are likely contagious.

Although no where near epidemic proportions, the county schools have seen 4 to 5 percent of its students, and even some teachers, out of school due to the flu or a stomach virus that has been making its way around the county.

Compounding the issue is the slow arrival of seasonal flu shots, that were offered to sixth through 12th grade students in the system. The vaccine is not expected to be in hand for at least a few more weeks.

“We received a memo this week from the Sampson County Health Department saying the seasonal flu vaccine will not be here until the end of the month,” said Susan Warren, Sampson County Schools public relations/student services coordinator.

“We have told our employees that we are still on hold for that.”

Like Warren, Kimberly Jackson, lead nurse for Sampson County Schools, said she is waiting to hear from the Health Department regarding the vaccines arrival.

“We are continuing to follow the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) guidelines for procedures for seasonal flu/H1N1 flu under current conditions,” she said.

Jackson did not know how many children she has treated for the seasonal flu in the last couple of weeks; however, a school official said that there have been only a few cases of children being treated for H1N1 symptoms.

In most students have been treated for the seasonal flu or with a serious stomach virus that has been going around the system over the last couple of weeks.

At a recent school board committee meeting, Sampson County Schools superintendent Dr. Ethan Lenker spoke about the seriousness of both viruses.

“We have been keeping track of all the talk of the flus and keeping tabs on the kids and the teachers that have been out in the system over the last couple of weeks,” he said. “(Since the second week of September), we have had 6.1 percent of the kids out; by the third week 7.2 percent, or 610 kids.”

Lenker said by Sept. 22, the numbers had dropped to 584. “It is not anywhere near where we would have to do something drastic,” he said. “We have had some individual schools where they have had 20 percent out a couple days at a time ... But we are keeping tabs on everything that goes on.”

Clinton City Schools superintendent Dr. Gene Hales also said his system was seeing a lot of absences due to the bug.

“We have students out with the flu,” he said Tuesday morning. He did not elaborate on specific numbers.

Lenker also told board members that the H1N1 vaccination would go to other places around the country before coming to Sampson County. “We are not in the upper echelon of people who would get that (first),” he noted.

Back to the seasonal flu, Lenker was asked by board member Roosevelt Wright why the system excludes grades K-5 when it comes to vaccine.

“We were told that giving shots to those younger students is not near our expertise,” Lenker said. “We will be more than happy to allow the Health Department to come in and help, but we cannot do it.”

“I think it is because it is more prevalent among the older children, not the younger kids,” added board member Mary Brown, a nurse.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, if you get sick with flu-like symptoms, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people except to get medical care. Most people with H1N1 so far this year have had mild illness and have not needed medical care or antiviral drugs; the same is true of seasonal flu. However, some people are more likely to get flu complications and they should talk to a health care provider about whether they need to be examined if they get flu symptoms this season.

A call to Sampson County Health Department director Wanda Robinson was not immediately returned before press time. However, at a recent meeting, Robinson said that the department was expecting the H1N1 vaccine by the middle of October.

For more information click on to www.cdc.gov.

To reach Doug Clark call 910-592-8137 ext. 123 or send e-mail to sisports@myclintonnc.com.