Parents have tough choices due to flu scare

Sesame Street's Kermit the Frog laments, "It's not easy bein' green." These days, it's not easy being a parent, with the H1N1 mania sweeping through the area over the past week.

Should they send their kids to school and risk coming in contact with the bug, knowing that access to the vaccine to fight it is still a day, a week or longer away?

Are the students claiming to be too ill to go to school really sick, and if so, with what? A cold? Seasonal flu? H1N1? How concerned should parents be?

Those are the questions that parents of St. Charles East High School faced last week until a critical mass of 45 percent absenteeism Tuesday led school officials to shut down the facility for the rest of the week and give it a good cleaning.

It's too early to tell -- in fact we may never know -- if the sudden exodus of students, teachers and staff early last week was caused by actual cases of H1N1. We do know that people young and old are frightened.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control, 5 percent to 20 percent of Americans get the seasonal flu each year, on average; more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from seasonal flu-related complications; and about 36,000 people die from seasonal flu-related causes.

H1N1 is a new strain of flu for which a vaccine is just now being distributed, and due to limited supply, will be given first only to the most vulnerable -- pregnant women, children younger than 24, parents and caregivers of very young children, first responders, and those age 25 to 64 with underlying medical conditions, for example. Those of us 25 to 64 who don't fall into those categories must wait our turn and hope to avoid getting sick with it.

And speaking of vaccines, those of us who didn't rush to our local Walgreens, CVS, Osco or Dominick's pharmacies to get our seasonal flu shots similarly are out of luck for now. Nearly all say they're out of the vaccine and don't know when or if they'll get more. If you're still looking to be inoculated against seasonal flu, check with your personal physician and make an appointment soon.

And while you're at it, find out if and when your doctor will have H1N1 shots or sprays available to you and your family.