Lakewood Hospital Bars Visitors Under 18 Amid Flu Epidemic

LAKEWOOD, NJ — Amid the continuing flu epidemic, Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus is barring those under 18 from visiting patients in the hospital, a spokeswoman said.

It's a move that's been made by a number of hospitals around the state, as health care officials look for ways to curtail the illness.

The hospital, formerly known as Kimball Medical Center and part of the RWJBarnabas hospital network, has been seeing a consistent volume of flu cases, said Jean M. Flaherty, a spokeswoman for the hospital.

That differs from its sister hospital in Toms River, Community Medical Center, where the caseload has fluctuated. No visitation restrictions are in place at Community, Flaherty said.

Both hospitals have posted information on their websites urging everyone who visits to wash their hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer both before and after visiting.

"If you have a cough or respiratory illness, for the safety of your loved ones, please visit on another day. Help us protect our patients by using Facetime, video chat, or another means to communicate," the hospitals' websites say. "If you are immediate family and must visit, you must wear a mask for the entire time that you are in the hospital."

Flaherty did not give specific numbers on how many flu cases Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus has seen.

Hospitals that have barred children have made the decision because children often are contagious with the flu before they begin showing signs of illness, and could put both patients and others at risk. Children also are more susceptible to contracting the flu, even if they've had the flu vaccine.

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