SAND, no offense, but that was goofy.

Actually, I suspect this will ultimately be called the SWINE FLU FLASH-IN-THE-PANdemic.
More people in Mexico will die from drug gang violence and get sick from drinking the water than ever be effected by swine flu.

Annoyance predicted....close the sandman! Oh Mr. Sandman....take sandman away!

Ok, I am totally going to pick on the paranoid (myself included), I was just thinking when I just put out my hummingbird feeders out and was watching them, we better stay away from them, they came from Mexico you know!!! lol. I was thinking that and realizing that someone would probably think that. I am preventative, but I am seriously not that crazy!! LOL.

Snow predicted -- close the schools! Freezing drizzle -- close the schools! Flu predicted -- close the schools (and let the kids wander the streets and hang with their friends so it spreads just the same...)!
Will school make-up dates end in time for fireworks on the 4th this summer?!

could not have said it better jellybean! People DON'T panic but know all you can because it's a good warning for us in the future when something really bad may happen.

So now the kids who are not in school are free to spread the flu around town?

What I want to know is why is it ok that my child is still at school when they ride the bus to and from school with High School students daily, and why is it ok that staff memebers at the K-8 level that have high school students are told to report to work? If you are trying to prevent spread wouldn't you take action with those situations also?

With no school and no younger siblings or parents to worry about, it should be a great day for MHS students to go to the Janesville Mall. You can't expect healthy teenagers with a beautiful day off from school to sit home with a blanket over their heads.

According to WHO and CDC updates, one of the key reasons they need to stop the spread of this virus is the possibility of it mixing with other existing flu viruses and coming back bigger and stronger next fall/winter, which is what happened in 1918, killing millions (not thousands).
******
As all the experts are saying, the situation is cause for concern but not panic. If all preventive efforts are not taken now, and if the worst happens, all you nay-sayers would instead be saying, "Why didn't they do more sooner"?
******
So let's let the experts guide us, not the extremists.

We all have our own opinions on whether this is blown out of proportion or not, and it is nothing different then the parents who chose to vaccinate their children or not. So, if I as well as others choose to 'over react' and keep our babies home, that is our prerogative, just as the ones with the 'survival of fittest' strategy. I have school age children along with a toddler at home. I kept my grade school-er home today, not only because he is sick, and has been for over two weeks now, with a moderate cold/cough, or a virus, but I chose to keep him home and let him build back up his strength especially with another virus out there. It is OUR choice as parents to do what we feel is right. And YES, I have gotten those stinkin "your child has missed too many days of school" letters, but he is only in 5K, and has been home with me until school so his immunities aren't built up as some are who have gone to day care and have been around other sick children. So sadly, but true my child has been sick a lot because of non-exposure. So, yes exposure is good, and I see that, but only to a certain extent. I am not knowingly going to put my child in close proximity with a person with the flu. This isn't the chicken pox we are talking about.

Aparentwhocares: The "regular" flu was pretty prevalent the weeks before Easter. The symptoms are pretty much the same for this new virus, so since your kids survived the last bout, they'll probably make it through this as well.

---

I know nobody wants to have their kids get sick. I'm no exception. However, we also can't run and hide every time there is a virus. Mortality with this flu is no more than with the "regular" flu - and that season lasts for months every year. Are you planning to avoid school for the next few years for every January - April?

---

This flu is hardly a death sentence - it is more of a temporary misery being made more miserable by knee-jerk over-reactions by the media and some public health officials.

Hot Potatoe- this strain of flu has similar characteristics (microscopically) of the flu strain that killed thousands..So that is why it is a bigger deal. Honestly I feel there is some information not being disclosed to "us" for fear of global panic..I feel we all need to use our best judgement and prepare..

Even if my child wasn't going to die from it, I still don't want him to get it so yes, if it's in the school I will be glad to keep him home.

Those with weak immune systems could die with ANY strain of flu, not just this one.

Those with weakened immune systems could die with this strain of flu. As aparentwhocares said, her kids were not moderately ill, they were very ill.

Mr. Nikolay just said the students will NOT have to make these days up, as they were "ordered" to close the school.

The "Poor MHS students" will not have to make these days up per the Wisconsin DPI. http://dpi.wi.gov/sspw/pdf/flu_letter_ap...

This is being blow so out of proprotion. 35,000 people die every year of the flu. We don't close schools and hoard hand sanitizer every winter do we? Just because we don't have a vaccine doesnt mean we're all going to die.

Poor MHS students who will probably now be in school untul mid-July making up snow days and now these days caused by an overaction.

o great another school closed because of the common flu or yeah im sorry we changed that to swine, whatever, go back to school.

This is exactly why I took my kids out of school last Thursday. I doubt I will get a truancy ticket NOW.

About three weeks ago both my children were sick with the flu , Body shakes , high fever. I have never seen them so sick ..and when I called both of their schools, they had a very high number of students and teachers out sick with the same symptoms ...both of my kids missed a whole week of school....I guess My question is how do we not know this hasn't been around here for a while...Both my kids had a very hard time fighting this..just makes a person wounder!!