Schools face closure in swine flu pandemic

A mass closure of schools in Britain could be necessary to help contain the spread of swine flu.

Chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson predicts that "several million" people will fall ill with the H1N1 virus, which has now been declared a global pandemic.

The infection is likely to peak in the middle of winter having increased in scale through the summer. So far only 822 people have been confirmed as having the virus in Britain.

No Briton has died but the death toll worldwide has hit 140, with more than 26,000 people infected - most under the age of 30.

Professor Neil Ferguson, an epidemiologist at Imperial College, London, and adviser to the Department of Health and the World Health Organisation, said schools could be closed in large numbers to prevent its spread.

Currently schools are only shut if they have a confirmed case in a bid to contain the infection.

Alleyn's School in Dulwich, south-east London, was the first to be shut and was followed by a series of other independent schools, including Eton.

Prof Ferguson said closing schools could cut infection among children by a fifth and decrease the rate of the virus spreading.

Sir Liam predicted a "huge surge" of cases when children return to school from the summer holidays.

Britain has enough antiviral drugs to cover half the population and orders are in place for 50million doses.

Pharmaceutical companies are working on a specific swine flu vaccine but it will not be available for some months.

Health Secretary Andy Burnham said Britain's pandemic plan was already in action and had been modified to contain local outbreaks.