Extending schools’ summer holidays is one of the options being considered to tackle the spread of swine flu, according to the public health institute RIVM, reports the NRC on Thursday.

Schools in the north of the country re-open on August 17.
The RIVM points out that children and young people have a higher risk of contracting the swine flu virus. There is also more physical contact within this group which means the virus has a bigger chance of being passed on, the RIVM says.
At present there is no reason to extend the school summer holidays but if necessary the decision can be made and implemented quickly, the paper reports the RIVM as saying.
On Monday night a 17-year-old boy became the first person in the Netherlands to die from swine flu.