10 House Pages Have Flu-Like Symptoms’
Updated: 9:08 p.m.Ten House pages — about one-sixth of the total currently serving — are being treated for “flu-like symptoms,— House officials announced Monday evening.The high school students are set to be vaccinated for the H1N1 virus because they are in a high-risk category, a House official said. The shots were scheduled before the announcement about the pages’ illnesses were made.In a news release Monday evening, House officials said four pages are also experiencing “gastrointestinal issues.— None has needed hospital attention. “We’ve been working closely with the Office of the Attending Physician to ensure the health of the affected Pages and we are taking every precaution to minimize additional illness,— said Maria A. Lopez, deputy House clerk for the Page Program. “Like every other educational institution across the country, we have been preparing for H1N1 occurrences for some time.—A handful of Senate pages had flu-like symptoms earlier in the year, though they were never tested for swine flu. It was unclear whether the House pages were tested, but Lopez said those pages who get parental consent will get the H1N1 vaccine “consistent with CDC guidelines on vaccine allocation to those at greatest risk for adverse outcomes.—Congressional pages interact daily with Members of Congress and staffers, answering phones and delivering messages. Most are high school juniors.Sixty-three pages are currently in the House program.