'Suspect' cases of swine flu at two Eugene elementary schools, could impact a third
EUGENE, Ore. -- There are two "probable" cases of swine flu in Lane County, and another two "suspected" cases. On Saturday, health officials said two of those cases were kids from two different Eugene schools.
According to Betsy Meredith, R.N., the two kids are friends. One is a student at Oak Hill School. The other goes to Harris-Eastside Elementary and also attends Moss Street Children's Center at the University of Oregon. They are both about seven years old. Meredith said these cases could be just the tip of the iceberg.
The concern over swine flu prompted a meeting with health officials. Meredith said they expect to see the number of "suspect" cases rise.
"I don't think that's going to be static," said Meredith. "I certainly think that's going to change."
Meredith said the tricky thing about any flu virus is that they change and evolve so quickly. The good news is that this strain isn't as severe as it could be.So far, no one has been hospitalized.
The state has given out about 10,000 doses of anti-virals to all 36 Oregon counties, not just the counties with probable cases. Oregon has also received more than 110,000 additional doses from the federal government.
Meredith said the test results on Lane Counties "suspect" and "probable" cases should be ready sometime early next week.
KVAL News asked Meredith of the flu vaccine will help prevent someone from getting swine flu. She said this no, this year's vaccine will not protect you because that strain of the flu virus was not included. But, she said, scientists are working on creating a vaccine for swine flu for the upcoming flu season.
