Autumn always brings with it its fair share of illnesses with coughs and colds, which is a normal part of nursery life. However, this year each sniffle is likely to arouse more concerns than usual, with the threat of swine flu hanging heavily in the air.
Much to the surprise and despair of many parents and nursery workers, healthy children have not been made a priority to receive the swine flu vaccine although they are considered 'super spreaders'. Instead, advice is being given on how to reduce the spread of the virus, and nurseries are being advised not to shut.
But for Blue Sky Day Nursery in Market Weighton, Yorkshire, the worry is that staff absences rather than child illnesses might in fact force it to close. Yorkshire has not been badly hit by the virus, and so far more staff than children at the nursery have contracted the disease, with three having already taken time off.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here