MILLSTONE — Many township children had an early start on summer vacation, as anxious parents kept them home the last week of school because of fear of swine flu, or H1N1 influenza.

When asked about swine flu, Superintendent of Schools Mary Anne Donahue said there were only the two confirmed cases.

"We had high absenteeism for two days [last] week," she said, "but [we] seem to be back to near normal now. Many parents are keeping their children home because they fear exposure."

In a letter sent to parents June 15, Donahue wrote, "Through phone contacts, we have learned that many children are being kept home as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of any illness. We have also learned that an equal number do have flu symptoms."

Donahue stated that, at that time, the Monmouth County Health Department (MCHD) did not have any additional confirmed cases of swine flu in Millstone, although there were several cases of type A influenza. The MCHD advised that the schools should remain open, according to Donahue. In the letter, she added that eighth-grade students unable to attend the graduation ceremony on June 18 will have other arrangements made for them to receive their diplomas.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, more than 70 countries are now reporting cases of human infection with novel H1N1 flu. This number has been increasing over the past few weeks, but many of the cases reportedly had links to travel or were localized outbreaks without community spread. The World Health Organization (WHO) designation of a pandemic alert phase 6 reflects the fact that there are now ongoing community-level outbreaks in multiple parts of world. WHO's decision to raise the pandemic alert level to phase 6 is a reflection of the spread of the virus, not the severity of illness caused by the virus.

As of the week ending June 6, eight states reported geographically widespread influenza activity; nine states reported regional influenza activity; the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 15 states reported local influenza activity; 17 states reported sporadic influenza activity; and one state did not report. The CDC map indicates that swine flu is widespread in New Jersey. For more information, visit the agency's website at www.cdc./gov/h1n1flu/.