Quebec health officials are dealing with an outbreak of swine flu in a small Gaspe town, which prompted them to begin vaccinations against the H1N1 virus for health care workers two days ahead of schedule.
Thirteen high school students at Arc-en-Ciel high school in Trois Pistoles, about 200 kilometres northeast of Quebec city, have come down with the swine flu.
All of the cases were mild, but about a third of the school's 393 students stayed home last week because of various health complaints.
The school will remain open, but officials are encouraging preventative measures such as hand washing.
Vaccination schedule
The vaccination schedule is the same across the province, with health care workers and first responders being vaccinated before the rest of the population.
The second group to be vaccinated will be parents with infants, followed by pregnant women and families with young children.
Healthy Quebecers over the age of five will be in the last group to be vaccinated.
English information
A government information booklet on the swine flu is now readily available in English. Last week, French-language versions of the document were delivered to every household in the province.
English-language versions of the Self-care Guide were included in Saturday's edition of The Gazette.
To access the information online in English, click here.
The numbers
As of Saturday, roughly 260 Quebecers had confirmed cases of swine flu, according to public health officials.
At least 55 people in Montreal have contracted the virus, with six people sick enough to be hospitalized.
Almost 1,300 Montrealers got the swine flu in the spring and summer, and the second wave -- which is expected to last through Christmas -- is expected to affect up to 35 percent of the population.
With files from The Canadian Press
