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[ PREVIOUS STORIES ]

12-15-03: Flu hits local nursing homes

By TIMOTHY COX & LANCE MIHM
newsdept@dailystandard.com

Some area nursing homes are taking special precautions to protect residents from the flu, and school district officials are hoping to get through this week to Christmas break without any large outbreaks.
The Gardens at Celina, 1301 Myers Road, is limiting visits to emergency situations only, a spokeswoman said this morning. Signs have been posted advising visitors not to enter unless the visit is absolutely necessary. The restrictions come at a difficult time with the holidays coming up, but are necessary to protect residents from becoming ill, the spokeswoman said.
Gardens at Celina officials could not estimate how long the restrictions will remain in place.
Valley Nursing Home employees in St. Marys are advising people who may be sick not to visit any of the residents there.
“We’ve been very fortunate so far,” said Amy Kentner at Valley Nursing Home in St. Marys. “We are putting up signs asking relatives to refrain from entering if they have the flu. If anyone is showing flu-like symptoms, we are notifying the doctor immediately.”
Administrators at the Laurels of Shane Hill in Rockford and the Gardens at St. Henry reported no problems with the flu. There are no visitation restrictions at either place.
New Bremen Local Schools Superintendent Larry Smith said one student has been confirmed with Type A flu.
“We are just hoping to get through the week and get the kids out for Christmas vacation,” Smith said.
St. Marys City Schools reported 236 students (9.6 percent) absent today.
Sally Bowman, the Mercer County Health Department’s nursing director, said none of the schools in the county have reported any serious problems caused by the flu. As of this morning, Bowman said she was still assessing whether the flu outbreak has worsened or improved during the past week or so.
As for flu vaccine, Bowman said she still does not know if any more will be available this winter.
“At this time, I have no indication we will be getting any more for the rest of the season,” Bowman said.
At the Auglaize County Health Department, 500 more doses of the flu vaccine arrived this morning and already were being administered, director of nursing Deb Scheer said.

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