Flu shot clinics extended with 2 child deaths from influenza B

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph(WDG) Public Health is extending its flu shot clinics on Chancellors Way in Guelph for the next two daysin response to two children dying from influenza B.

WDGPublic Healthconfirmed Saturday the disease is responsible for the two reported deaths and said there isno evidence to show the two cases are related.

• Guelph girl, 12, died from flu, second death suspected to be flu-related

"It is a tragedy for this community that two children died from the flu," said Dr. Nicola Mercer, medical officer of health and CEO of WDGPublic Health in a release.

"The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has provided extra vaccines so we can vaccinate as many people as possible."

Clinic hours will be extendedon Feb.11 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.and on Feb.12 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

'No evidence' school has higher risk

LaynaVu Pollard, a Grade 7 student from Westminster Woods Public School in Guelphwas one of the two children who died from influenza B in less than two weeks. Her father told CBCNews she died on Jan. 31 after she contracted the flu.

The second child, who isbelieved to have gone to the same school as Pollard, also died from contracting influenza B.

However,WDGPublic Health said Westminster Woods Public School will not be closed because there is no evidence showing there is a higher risk of contracting the flu at the school than anywhere else.

"Influenzacirculates not only in schools but in many different setting across the community,"MatthewTenenbaum, a physician atWDGPublic Health toldCBCNews.

"Eventhough the two children who passed away were both from the school, that doesn't make the school unsafe and there is no evidence of significantly more risk there than anywhere else."

The Public Health Agency of Canada said in a report dated Jan. 27there have been five lab-confirmed flu-related deaths among children so far this season.

With the two deaths in Guelph, the total deathswill go up to at least seven.