By Alyssa Schnugg
News editor
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com
The flu has arrived in Oxford a little earlier than it usually does.
According to the Oxford School District, there were 25 student flu cases confirmed on Wednesday at Oxford Middle School.
The uptick in cases caused OMS to cancel football practice earlier this week as a preventative measure leading up to tonight’s game.
The early flu season wasn’t a total surprise to the Centers for Disease Control which often looks to Australia’s flu season as a guide on how it might go in the states. Australia’s winter months run from April to October.
This past winter, Australia had its worst flu season in five years, according to the CDC.
Of the 53,535 flu tests administered during the week of Oct. 7-14, 3 percent were positive nationally, up from 2.2 percent the week prior.
Most of the positive cases are the H3N2 virus, which was the predominant strain in Australia.
OSD spokesperson Heather Lenard said that Chaney’s Pharmacy hosts a flu shot clinic each year for staff members. So far this school year, it has administered 175 flu vaccines.
The Charger Health and Wellness Clinic has supplies to give the flu vaccine to students and staff.
“Parents can call and make an appointment for their child’s flu shot,” Lenard said.
If a student is ill, parents are asked to keep the child home until they have been free of fever for 24 hours and have not vomited or had diarrhea for 24 hours.
