GREAT BEND, Kansas – It looks as if an H1N1 outbreak is hitting Great Bend. This week, nearly 200 students have missed classes in the public school district and making matters worse, a commonly used drug to treat the virus is running in short supply.
Empty desks are a common site across schools in USD 248 as seven percent of the district’s student population is out sick.“There is something going around,” said Dr. Tom Vernon, USD 428 superintendent. “It quite probably is H1N1. But if we follow the advice of CDC and the state health dept and our own local health department, we'll get through this.”Across the district Lincoln Elementary has seen the most students missing with flu-like symptoms. Friday, fewer than a dozen students were absent and this week an average of 45 percent of the students was gone each day.And some parents have encountered problems getting the drug that treats H1N1.“My daughter called me at work and said that my granddaughter Tierra had the H1N1,” said Terri Schneider, Great Bend resident. “And she was on the way to the pharmacy to get the Tamiflu. Well, she gets there, finds out they don't have it.” The good news is that most people who get the flu are okay without anti-viral medications like Tamiflu. Symptoms can be treated with over-the-counter products and should go away within three to five days. But for young children or those with underlying health issues who still need drug treatment; it can be a different story.“If the pharmacist says we're out of oral suspension, we can ask them to mix that,” said Lily Akings with the Barton Co. Health Dept. “Most of our pharmacies, I understand, in Barton County can do that for you.”If the adult dose of Tamiflu runs out, health departments will then be authorized to tap into their stockpile of the drug.Schools will not close because of flu outbreaks. If your child gets the flu, have them stay at home and do not let them return to class until they are fever and medication free for at least 24 hours.
