A small elementary school in St. Charles canceled class Thursday after at least 90 students became sick with the flu.
The number of sick kids at Seton Regional Catholic School comprises around one-third of the school’s total enrollment of 330 students.
The outbreak comes during what has so far been a mild flu season in the region. The St. Charles County Health Department this season logged 90 cases of the flu as of last week.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services says flu activity in the state is minimal, with flu-related complications leading to 1.3% of emergency department visits statewide. That’s below the normal baseline for this time of year.
The state health department reports that in the week ending Nov. 23, the latest data available, there were 259 reported cases of the flu in Missouri. That’s far below the more than 1,000 cases that were reported during the same time last year.
Health experts say it’s not too late this year to get a flu shot but recommend getting one as soon as possible so it can take effect before Christmas and New Year’s gatherings.
St. Charles County health officials say they’ve been in touch with the school and are still collecting information about the outbreak.
