Parents demand answers on swine flu

GENESEE COUNTY, N.Y. (WIVB) - Parents are demanding answers from school and health leaders after another swine flu related death has been confirmed.

Health officials say a young Genesee County boy died from the H1N1 virus.

Pembroke School Superintendent Gary Mix told News 4, privacy laws preclude him from confirming the death of 5th grade student Jared Peters was due to the H1N1 virus, leaving News 4 to read between the lines of his prepared statement.

Pembroke School Superintendent, Gary Mix said, "Regarding the health status of any individual child, and the recent tragedy of losing one of our children, under federal law, we cannot provide any information that would disclose the identity, or otherwise identify a specific child."

So News 4 went to Genesee County's Health Director, Randolph Garney, as he conducted a Board of Health meeting.

Garney has confirmed the H1N1 fatality, but would not name the student or even identify the school district involved.

Jared Peters, a 5th grader at Pembroke Elementary School, died on October 22nd in Erie County, and initially Pembroke officials announced an H1N1 screening came out negative, then quickly changed their statement to say, "cause of death still undetermined".

The health department has notified the appropriate school district of the H1N1 finding, a subject Superintendent Mix would not discuss.

"As I indicated, I am not entertaining any additional questions. Thank you," explained Mix.

The news comes just one day after an Amherst High School student died from the H1N1 virus.

Chelsea Oliver was a sophomore at Amherst High Central High School.

Her mother said that her daughter died Sunday from the swine flu and other infections.

She was hospitalized for about a week with several illnesses including H1N1.