HUDSON, MASS. (WHDH) - More than 100 students at the J.L. Mulready Elementary school in Hudson were marked absent Wednesday and now parents are asking school officials to take steps to make sure their children stay healthy.
A flu outbreak has sickened 47 percent of the student body — according to a letter from the school principal.
At least seven of those students have confirmed cases of Type B flu.
Craig Goulet whose 7-year-old grandson attends the school said the building was like a “ghost town,” on Monday morning.
Superintendent Dr. Marco C. Rodrigues said the facilities department is conducting a deep cleaning protocol on a daily basis.
The letter released by Rodrigues said cleaning is underway at the school including, “wiping off all critical surfaces (desks, chairs doorknobs, etc.) steam cleaning all possible surface areas.”
The efforts are expected to slow the spread of germs and viruses within the building while minimizing the impact of flu season.
Some parents wonder whether it would just be better for the school to close for the rest of the week and hire a professional cleaning company.
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to get a healthcare company to come in and do a deep cleaning,” parent Kimberly Griffiths said. “Otherwise, just using the janitorial staff, they can only do so much.”
The superintendent said there are no plans to close the school at this time.
School officials did issue a warning to parents urging them to hold off sending their sick children back to school until they have been fever-free for more than 24 hours without the help of medicine.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)