In this case, the optimal strategies were closing kindergartens, primary and secondary schools for 9 weeks if R 0 =1.5, 7 weeks if R 0 =2.0, and 5 weeks if R 0 = 2.5 (Additional file 1: e-Table 3).
With the current willingness to pay in Norway, closing kindergartens and primary schools is not a cost-effective policy to mitigate an influenza pandemic, unless the case fatality rates are high.
We explored the costs and benefits of intervention policies with different durations (from 1 to 10 weeks) and for different target groups (closing kindergarten alone, primary school alone, secondary school alone, kindergarten and primary school or all three).
For severe pandemics with case fatality rates of 1-21-2%imilar thethe Spanish flu, or when indirect costs are disregarded, the optimal strategy is closing kindergarten, primary and secondary school for extended periods of time.
"They closed our kindergarten 15 years ago," says Lida, a 48-year old mother of 15 children – 10 boys and five girls.
"The public space shrinks, people are relocated, schools and kindergartens closed.
The children in the kindergarten modelled for the Flower Fairies until the kindergarten closed in 1940.
"They said, if you open your own kindergarten, then we have to close the public kindergartens," he recalled.
Meanwhile, mandatory education has been reduced from ten years to nine and most rural kindergartens have closed, as have all libraries outside the capital.
