Swine flu claims life of Jackson youngster

JACKSON — A 6-year-old boy who recently completed the first grade at Jackson's Holman School has died from the swine flu.

The Ocean County Health Department confirmed last week that the boy, who was admitted to a hospital on June 25, died on June 27. He became the first Ocean County resident to die from the swine flu (also referred to as the Novel N1N1 virus).

The youngster was a student in C.C.D. classes at St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church, Jackson. He is survived by his parents, four siblings, and other relatives.

The health department noted that the boy had underlying medical conditions.

Ocean County Health Department public information officer Leslie Terjesen defined underlyingmedical conditions as a chronic illness that a person has always had or may have at the time, such as diabetes, asthma, heart disease or a compromised immune system.

"It's a co-factor," she said. "Something that a person has in addition [to the flu]."

Allison Erwin, the communications specialist for the Jackson School District, said, "The Jackson School District community is saddened by the death of a Holman School student this week. Losing a student is never easy; it affects the entire district whether they knew the child or not. Jackson is a big town, but when something like this happens, we realize we are a still a small town in many ways. We are a family."

Erwin said school staff members reached out directly to the student's classmates and said the school community was notified through the district's website about available counseling services and health resources. On the morning of July 2 the district offered counseling services to parents, students and staff members at the Holman School.

"We realize this news may cause a certain amount of anxiety and concern for our parents and staff due to the presence of confirmed H1N1 influenza," said Erwin. "We understand that this news may cause our parents to worry. Every corner of this country is being visited by this new virus, and that can be scary for people."

Erwin said school district administrators understand that parents may be nervous, but said it is important to remember that "every conversation we have had with health officials indicates that most people who have become ill with this virus have experienced typical flu symptoms and have recovered without complications."

Terjesen said that if a person becomes ill with flu-like symptoms, including a fever of 100 degrees or greater, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, they should contact their health care provider.

For more information, visit the Ocean County Health Department website at www.ochd.org.