China quarantine UK schoolchildren after swine flu outbreak

More than 50 Britons were in quarantine tonight after four schoolchildren were diagnosed with swine flu during a trip to China.

The teenagers from London were being treated for the H1N1 virus in a Beijing hospital having arrived in China earlier in the week.

A further 52 pupils and teachers, who were understood to have been in close contact with the four, were ordered to stay inside their hotel under strict quarantine procedures.

It came as a senior adviser to the British Government moved to calm concerns over the swine flu vaccine after questions were raised about whether it will have been sufficiently tested before it is used.

The first deliveries of the vaccine are expected to arrive next month, sparking concerns that doses will be administered before full clinical trials are completed.

But Professor Gordon Duff, co-chairman of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, said the “benefits far outweigh the risks”.

He added: “These core vaccines have been tested on 5,000-6,000 people already, with no serious adverse effects.

“It is inconceivable that in the UK we would consider a vaccine without giving a full scientific appraisal of its benefits and theoretical risks. That is just what these risks are – theoretical.”

Although manufacturers say they will be delivering the first supplies of the vaccine at the end of August, this is not the UK Department of Health’s schedule, a spokesman said.

“We need to ensure the vaccine has been through the licensing process before it can be used,” he said. “The licensing process and timetable is a matter for the regulator so we can’t say exactly how long this will take.

“We take decisions about introducing a new vaccine very seriously. We will want to be sure that all the relevant issues are reviewed by independent scientific experts as the licensed vaccine becomes available.”

The debate over the vaccine came as it emerged that a 39-year-old woman who had contracted swine flu died shortly after giving birth prematurely.

The woman, who died in Whipps Cross Hospital in east London, was named by her brother as Ruptara Miah.

Thousands of people in Britain have been affected by swine flu and the total number of UK deaths linked to the virus stands at 29.

Three of the year nine (aged 13-14) children taken ill in China were from the Central Foundation Boys School in Clerkenwell, while one attended Parliament Hill School in Camden, organisers said.

The quarantined group was among a party of around 600 British students and teachers from across the UK who had travelled to China.

Organised by the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, the British Council and Hanban, a Chinese organisation linked to Confucius Institutes, and part-funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the two-week trip was intended to enable the teenagers to learn more about the country’s culture and language.

A spokesman for the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust said: “We can confirm that four students from London on a Chinese language, learning and cultural visit to Beijing have been diagnosed with swine flu.

“They are making an excellent recovery and being looked after very well by hospital staff.

“The students are part of a trip to China organised by Hanban (a Chinese non-government organisation).

“The SSAT has worked with Hanban to enable schools from England to participate in this cultural visit.

“We hope the students make a quick recovery and can join their peers on the rest of the visit as soon as possible.”

He said the trust arranged for 278 children and 49 teachers from all over the UK to travel to China, flying out on July 13-14 and returning on July 27-28.

The spokesman added that it was a “terrible shame” for the students in quarantine but efforts were being made to enable them to join in activities at the hotel and to to contact their families.

According to the Central Foundation Boys School website every year a group of students is given the chance to visit China.

Susan Higgins, the headteacher of Parliament Hill School, a technology college for girls, wrote to parents on June 23 to inform them that a pupil had been confirmed as having swine flu.

A spokesman for the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: “A group of 52 schoolchildren and teachers are quarantined in their hotel in Beijing.

“Four schoolchildren have been diagnosed with the H1N1 virus.

“Our embassy staff are in contact with the children and teachers, and families back in the UK.”

The FCO website states that medical screening for the swine flu virus has been introduced at several airports for passengers arriving on international flights, including in China.

In the section relating to travel advice for China, the guidance states: “The Chinese government continues to place great emphasis on screening and surveillance, rapid detection, quarantine and treatment.”

The process can be “confusing and upsetting”, with very little information provided in English, according to the FCO advice.

“You should be aware that if any passenger has flu-like symptoms this may lead to all passengers being quarantined for up to seven days, until health officials are satisfied all are free of the A(H1N1) virus,” it said.

“Any passenger having come into direct/indirect contact with anyone suspected of having the virus may also be quarantined.”

Meanwhile, the UK's Department of Health issued holiday advice for people with swine flu, recommending delaying travel until symptoms, which include high temperature, have gone.

Holidaymakers should take medication such as paracetamol with them and avoid public places if they get swine flu.

People travelling to Europe should carry a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), the DoH said.

British Health Secretary Andy Burnham said: “I want families to go on their holidays and have a great time this summer, and mums and dads shouldn’t worry unnecessarily about swine flu.

“But, just as they would anyway, parents should keep a close eye on their children’s health.”

The British Government is currently setting up a pandemic flu service, which the Department of Health said it expects to be available at the end of the week.