For the first time this year, a school on P.E.I. is reporting more than 10 per cent of its students are off sick with flu-like symptoms, and other schools are seeing increased absences.

Chief health officer Dr. Heather Morrison is hopeful vaccinations will be completed early enough to slow spread of the flu. (CBC)

Principal Norman Beck of Stone Park School in Charlottetown told CBC News more than 100 of the school's 900 students stayed home Monday with flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough and aches and pains.

"I think we have to watch and see what, if any, sort of trends emerge. This is one day," said Beck.

"We're just doing our job here of reporting. If there's any information that we have to be apprised of, we'll let the medical experts determine where we go."

Medical officials say it's just one indicator that P.E.I., like other provinces, is experiencing an increase in swine flu.

The Western School Board is also reporting increased absenteeism. Superintendent Dale Sabean said the number of children sick with flu symptoms this week has tripled.

Chief health officer Dr. Heather Morrison said the Health Department is watching schools closely, as well as other indicators like the number of confirmed cases of H1N1 and the number of people visiting doctors with flu-like symptoms.

Morrison said those indicators suggest a significant increase in the number of people with swine flu. She is hopeful the vaccination program, which started Monday on the Island, will be in time to make a difference.

"Right now we're at the beginning of the second wave, and so we may be in the fortunate position that. unlike B.C. — where they're fully into their second wave — we may be able to get the people certainly at high risk, as many as we can, as soon as possible," she said.

Elementary school children are scheduled for vaccination starting Nov. 2 and junior and senior high school-age students the week after that.

Morrison said a discussion of school closure would only happen if absenteeism hit 30 per cent.

2 reactions to vaccine

Morrison said of the 3,000 people who received the swine flu vaccine on Monday, she knew of two that had bad reactions.

"They were both seen by physicians and were not kept in hospital and were sent home," she said.

She said lineups for the vaccine have not been as long in P.E.I. as in other provinces.

"I think we were targeting certain groups that we know will benefit the most from getting the vaccine early, and that was one of the advantages of a focused approach," she said.