The Edutopia Poll

by Sara Ring

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Federal officials expect a resurgence of the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, when students return to school this fall, but they insist there's no need for panic. Unlike as was the case last spring, schools are no longer being advised to temporarily close down at the first sign of the virus. Officials now believe that by encouraging good hygiene and quickly sending sick students home, even schools with confirmed cases of swine flu can remain open and avoid the disruption of closing down. But is this good advice? Since April of this year, the virus has killed roughly 300 Americans, and thousands more have been hospitalized. And because the swine flu vaccine is unavailable until October, staying open despite known cases of infection could be putting the health of students and teachers at risk. Just how cautious do schools need to be? Tell us what you think!

Should schools hit by swine flu stay open?