Parents told to avoid potential ‘swine flu parties’

PARENTS were warned yesterday not to take their children to “swine flu parties” in the hope they will catch the disease now and build up immunity.

Although no firm evidence has emerged of such events taking place, family website mumsnet.com has witnessed discussions over whether parents should take steps to ensure their children acquire immunity before the main flu season in the winter, when some people expect the virus to be more potent.

For many years, parents have deliberately exposed their children to playmates with chickenpox in order to allow them to have the once-only disease at a convenient time, but British Medical Association expert Dr Richard Jarvis yesterday warned against taking the same approach with swine flu.

His warning came the day after news emerged of the first death of a child with swine flu in Britain.

The ill six-year-old girl who died had “been through a lot” in her short life, her father told an inquest yesterday.

Sameerah Ahmad, who was born with a rare life-threatening disease, died at Birmingham’s Children’s Hospital on Friday evening.

Tests on the little girl’s body revealed she had contracted swine flu, although it is not yet known if this contributed to her death.

She was also believed to have been suffering from a condition which weakened her bone marrow and her immune system, making it difficult for her body to fight infection.

At the opening of the inquest into her death, Sameerah’s father, Imran Ahmad, told Birmingham Coroner’s Court that he didn’t want a postmortem examination to be carried out.

“Obviously I do not, because she has been through a lot already in her life,” he said.