Sir – After reading Reg Little’s article (May 7) I feel obliged to defend the actions of Oxfordshire PCT, the Health Protection Unit and the Oxfordshire education department.
In my view they handled the recent H1N1 flu case at Sandhills Community Primary School extremely well. They avoided provoking unnecessary public anxiety as there was no risk to other school pupils.
Given that the incubation period of flu is one to four days and no cases of flu transmission have been declared, it seems that this course of action has been vindicated. We need to remember that health and education staff are working in difficult circumstances. They must balance the need to inform the public of risk on the one hand and the need to avoid alarmism on the other. Their sole motive is public service and safety. There is no conspiracy to conceal.
Councillors should ensure that any critical comments they give to reporters are truly in the public interest, and that there is no hint that a health scare is being used for political benefit.
Paul Roblin, Headington
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