8:20pm Thursday 9th July 2009
A MUM has complained after a school sent out its swine flu warning to parents via text message.
Maxine Blackmore, from Dover Street, Old Town, believes Lainesmead Primary School, in South View Avenue, Old Walcot, acted unprofessionally by sending out the virus warning messages to parents yesterday morning.
She also said she would have preferred to have received the text before her two daughters, aged four and nine, were dropped off at the school.
“It caused me to a panic,” she said. “I think it is pretty unprofessional of them to do such a thing.
“I would suspect that these warnings are to reassure parents but this made me more worried.
“My husband asked if we should pick the girls back up when he found out - but I decided to just call my doctor to find out more.”
Miss Blackmore received a letter from the school yesterday evening and said that it came too late for her liking, having already found out the news by text message.
A spokesman at Lainesmead Primary School confirmed the text message was sent out to parents with the swine flu warning, but said no-one at the school would comment further before speaking to the parents involved.
The Adver contacted Swindon’s 61 primary schools and 11 secondary schools yesterday to find out which ones had suspected swine flu cases.
Following our calls, six other schools in Swindon were added to the list of those with suspected cases, including Highworth’s Warneford Secondary School and Eastrop Infants School. Catherine Wayte Primary School in Abbey Meads, St Francis Primary in Taw Hill and Lawn Pre-School also have children off school with flu-like symptoms.
Wroughton Infant School, which has yet to sent out letters to parents, said it had three children being treated for flu-like symptoms.
Yesterday the Advertiser revealed that Dorcan Technology College had a confirmed case of swine flu and Goddard Park Primary had one pupil being treated for flu-like symptoms.
Swindon Academy also has one case of suspected swine-flu after a support worker went down with symptoms.
John Saunders, head of Highworth Warneford School said parents received letters on Wednesday night after one Year 10 boy came down with a suspected case of swine flu.
He said: “I am not sure how, or with what medication he is being treated, but I do know he was feeling better.
“We have spoken to the local authority, Primary Care Trust (PCT) and the Health Protection Agency (HPA) and have taken advice from them.
“It has been suggested that we should not close the school.
“However, the letter sent to parents had some advice on general cleanliness and we have been advising children about hygiene practices.
“Although one or two parents have called for clarification our attendance is pretty much normal.”
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