Flu centres open in Canterbury

Health officials have opened flu centres in Rangiora and Rolleston as swine flu spreads in Canterbury.

The head of the Canterbury Primary Pandemic Group, Dr Phil Schroeder, said the centres had been opened because of an increase in the number of out-of-town flu patients heading to Christchurch for treatment.

"We have been keeping an eye on demographics and noting where people calling our 0800 flu line are from," he said.

"We've noticed that increasing numbers of people visiting the central city flu centre are coming in from Selwyn and Waimakariri.

"It therefore makes sense to open local centres."

The Rolleston centre will be open from Monday to Friday from 1pm to 5pm, and the Rangiora centre will operate on weekdays from 1pm to 4.30pm.

Schroeder said people with flu symptoms should ring the information line 0800373037 for advice before visiting a flu centre.

"That is the only way they will be given an appointment at their local centre," he said.

"It would also be helpful when people phone that they clearly identify where they live so that they can be directed to the appropriate centre."

There were 68 people with flu-like symptoms in Canterbury hospitals yesterday, including 17 confirmed with swine flu. Two of those patients were in Christchurch Hospital's intensive care unit.

Nationally, 2368 cases of swine flu have been confirmed. The deaths of 10 New Zealanders have been linked to the disease.

Swine flu and a measles outbreak did not drastically cut the ranks of Canterbury school pupils at the start of the new term yesterday.

Principals said absentee rates were close to normal. For some schools, that represented a vast improvement, having had as many as a third of their pupils off sick at the end of last term.

"We're hale and hearty in North Canterbury today," Rangiora School principal Peggy Burrows said.

"But we did drop from 86 per cent attendance down to 65 per cent at the end of term.

"While I don't quite know the statistics, it's certainly higher than 65 per cent today."

Four staff had suffered from swine flu during the school holidays, but all were well again, Burrows said.

Ashburton Intermediate School principal Gavin Cooper said the school had yet to be hit by swine flu.

"There's been nothing yet, but I am expecting it later this term," he said.

Christchurch Boys' High School pupils account for about a third of Christchurch's confirmed measles cases.

The school has also suffered badly from swine flu.

Its deputy principal, Paul McWilliam, said he was relieved yesterday to find that absentee rates were about normal for this time of year.

Fifty-two measles cases have been confirmed or suspected in Christchurch since last month, including pupils at seven high schools, two intermediates, four primary schools and six early-childhood centres.

Nationally, there have been 90 notified measles cases this year, more than seven times higher than the total number of cases for all of last year.

The Ministry of Health's chief adviser for population health, Dr Greg Simmons, urged parents to vaccinate their children against the highly infectious disease.

"It's estimated that up to 13 people could become infected from coming into contact with just one person with this disease," he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News