Suspected reaction to leis sees pupils hospitalised

Three South Auckland school children are in hospital after a suspected reaction to leis they were wearing.

St John Ambulance rushed the trio from Jean Batten Primary School in Mangere to Middlemore Hospital just before 11am.

A spokesman says the students had badly swollen eyes and signs of an allergic reaction.

He said ambulance staff believed it was triggered by the leis the children were wearing, as no one else has suffered similar symptoms.

Jean Batten Primary School principal Jeff Bruce said students and staff at the school were isolated by fire officers and the school hall was checked in case there was a gas leak.

He said it turned out to be a "storm in a tea-cup" but the school nurse had called an ambulance after the three pupils turned up to the sick bay with puffy eyes.

Mr Bruce said the school has returned to normal but he has spent a lot of the afternoon answering calls from the media.

- NZ HERALD STAFF and NEWSTALK ZB