To the editor:

In his July 2 letter to the editor, Jon Broderick had a few harsh words for the Beverly superintendent of schools, as well as the health director, regarding their decision not to inform parents of the two cases (in two different schools) of the H1N1 virus.

Mr. Broderick, if you really give it some thought, as well as do some minor research, you may realize they were doing their job properly.

Your statement that "parents should have been given the opportunity to make their own decision" regarding keeping their children at home is interesting. How long would you keep your child out? Do you think keeping them out a few days would be beneficial? Every other week?

This virus is here to stay for a while; there will be people getting sick every week, every few weeks, and so on.

I think your thoughts are a little unrealistic.

The state health department had recommended physicians stop testing because it is so prevalent. Many physician offices were not seeing patients in the office, but diagnosing over the phone based on symptoms, because it's out there.

Should parents be notified when there is a child with chicken pox, seasonal flu or any other virus that has taken lives?

Those individuals who have died from this flu have had multiple underlying medical issues. It's not the typical healthy child or adult who succumbs to this.

Media outlets have blown this flu so far out of proportion that individuals such as yourself have an inflated fight-or-flight response. This flu is no more deadly than the seasonal flu.

What is unfortunate is that the media did not use this as an educational opportunity. Many people do not realize that more than 36,000 people die each year from the seasonal flu, and that is just in this country alone.

I hope that as a parent you didn't drop the ball on your job, but took this opportunity to educate your own children on hand hygiene, cough etiquette, etc.

I'd be curious to know if you and your family are taking the "appropriate measures to ensure the health and safety" of your children and receive the flu vaccine every year.

Judith Ryan

Danvers