EDMONTON — Just days before the rollout of the swine flu vaccine in Alberta, there’s word that flu-like illnesses have hit some schools hard in the Edmonton area.
CTV Edmonton is reporting that officials at Sainte Marguerite d’Youville, a junior and senior high school in St. Albert, just north of Edmonton, say about 135 students are out sick with the swine flu.
Letters are being sent home to parents to inform them about the situation.
Earlier this week, the school, which has about 450 students, reported an absenteeism rate of about 36 per cent.
Under provincial guidelines, schools are expected to inform provincial health officials when their absenteeism rate is above 10 per cent.