• Home
  • >
  • Swine flu - What you need to know!

Swine flu - What you need to know!

 
Swine flu, H1N1, influenza, safty, pandemic

Swine flu - it's all over the newspapers and TV. Parents are getting increasingly worried about the spread of this new virus that appears to be sweeping the globe. Although so far there are only 26 confirmed deaths (25 in Mexico, 1 in the US) the virus seems to be spreading at an exponential rate.

What is swine flu (influenza A H1N1)?

Swine influenza is a disease in pigs. The virus currently transmitting directly among people is now generally referred to as swine flu although the origin of the disease is still under investigation. There is no evidence of this strain of the disease circulating in pigs in the UK. The UK was the first European country to have a contingency plan in place for pandemic flu. At both national and local levels the public sector is working on pre-prepared contingency plans to help fight swine flu.

Advice for parents - what can you do?

Help your child’s childminder, nursery, pre-school group, school or out-of-school club by making sure they have up to date contact details for you: your address, telephone numbers (home, work and mobile) and email as appropriate.

They will need to get in touch with you if there is a case of flu among the children, or they suspect the children may be at risk.

Also make sure that your child:

  • uses soap and water when washing their hands
  • covers their mouth when coughing or sneezing (with a tissue, not with their hands)
  • throws dirty tissues away quickly into bins

Following these simple precautions will help slow the spread of the virus.

What will happen if the virus spreads?

Some schools or childcare services may have to close to stop the virus spreading further, or some may need to close because of staff being ill.

If this happens, you will get information from the school, nursery or childcare provider if they are closing, and they will also contact you when they re-open.

If your child is at school, and the school remains open, your normal duty to send your child to school still applies. If your child shows any signs of flu-like illness, keep them at home and tell the school.

If you want to know more about swine flu, you can download a PDF document about it here.

You can also find plenty of information on the NHS Choices website and the DirectGov website.

 

Search our help articles

Dads Space survey

Help us improve Dads Space by answering some quick questions. You could win a £10 Amazon voucher!

Take the survey

Dads Space channels:

Explore Dads Space