Swine flu fear keeps teen hospital volunteers home

Swine flu has emptied classrooms and filled vaccination clinics. It has also caused Frederick Memorial Hospital to tell its high school-aged volunteer corps to stay away until they have received flu vaccinations.

The hospital's cadre of 89 young volunteers make up about 10 percent of the volunteer force, but about three weeks ago, administrators decided their presence in the hospital was too risky during this fall's H1N1 flu outbreak.

Hospital officials said they are trying to protect the volunteers as well as the patients. Teenagers are in the high-risk group for H1N1 flu, also known as swine flu. That means they're more likely to get swine flu and have a greater chance of developing complications than the population as a whole.

Bria Loy, 16, volunteers at FMH for three hours every other Sunday, but she's missed her past two shifts. She is hoping to get a flu vaccination soon so she can return to the hospital.

"I was worried I'd lose my spot," she said.

She won't, said Barbara Poffenbarger, volunteer coordinator. The adult volunteers are eager to have the teens rejoin them.

"You don't realize how much you rely on them," said Wendy Brundage, president of the FMH Auxiliary.

Bria has been volunteering at FMH for one year. She is a busy junior at Gov. Thomas Johnson High School, taking classes at the Career and Technology Center to get certified as a nursing assistant and geriatric nursing assistant. She is also taking Emergency Medical Technician training two evenings a week.

Bria plans to become a nurse, and wants to get in as much training as possible before she starts college. At FMH, she runs errands for nurses, discharges patients and gets food for those admitted too late for meals.

While these are routine duties, Bria gets a glimpse into the life of a nurse and the experiences of patients.

"You learn how to deal with people, how to take care of them, and how to take care of their families," she said.

Sharon Hannaby, director of volunteer services, said the hospital is asking volunteers ages 14 to 18 to stay home until they have been vaccinated for both the swine flu and the seasonal flu.

"It is the high school-age folks who are getting this, and the hospital wanted to protect the students that were here," Hannaby said.

Some adult volunteers have chosen to stay away from the hospital during the swine flu outbreak.

Bria said she's learned how easy it is for people in her age group to spread the flu.

"We drink after each other, and we don't wash our hands enough," she said. "I wasn't taught the proper way to wash my hands."

Because of the flu outbreak, the hospital has moved its Small Wonder Tour to the Wellness Center. This tour is for children about to get a new sibling, and usually takes place in the maternity wing of the hospital. One of the most popular parts of the tour is the newborn unit, where children can view babies through a window, Hannaby said.

The auxiliary has also canceled hospital tours for first-graders, usually a staple of the school year, hospital spokeswoman Amanda Changuris said. The hospital has asked families to limit visitation to those over 18, but if younger visitors do come, they are not asked to leave, she said.

Copyright 2009 The Frederick News-Post. All rights reserved.