The flu outbreak affecting proms and graduation ceremonies??

[rainbow4321]

One daughter has a prom the end of May and her graduation in early June from high school...the other has college graduation the end of May.
And neither are going to be small gatherings. The high school has 1200 kids graduating, each kid can invite 6 guests..they are having to rent out a huge building in Dallas. The other is going to be a UT Austin graduation ceremony.
Local schools are already canceling extra curricular gathering, field trips, not renting out their facilities to anyone outside their districts, large community celebrations are being cancelled (including Cinco de Mayo events).

This has the potential for really, really messing up seniors nationwide and any prom attendees' plans.
I totally agree the better safe than sorry planning, we're talking people's healths and possibly lives...but the scope/potential of all this really hit me when my daughter was talking about getting her prom dress altered, etc..

[mzteris]

1. not to mention

summer camps and summer daycare for kids with two working parents.

[FarCenter]

2. Proms are OK so long as all students stay at least 6 feet apart

[kestrel91316]

3. My sister and BIL and BIL's dad and niece will be going in mid-May to Europe

to rendezvous with my nephew who is finishing up studying there. And the kids will be spending a few days in Greece after the oldsters come back.

I sure hope all this fuss doesn't mess up their multinational travel plans.........

[MineralMan]

4. Time will tell, but I'm betting there will be many cancelled

proms this May. Too bad, but...

[FarCenter]

5. This predicts that it will peak in the UK in about 7 weeks

It might peak a little sooner in the US.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/01/swine-flu-pandemic-contingency-plan

The contingency planners envisaged declaring a level four alert when there was widespread infection across Britain. The plan said: "It is anticipated that activity will rise to a peak across the UK about seven weeks from the first recognition of cases ... Many services are likely to be under increased pressure, particularly from staff absences and possibly disruption of supplies. Some, including health and social care organisations and burial services, will experience rapidly escalating demand as the pandemic evolves."