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Flu vaccine program scheduled to resume today in three schools Date published: 10/30/2009
BY JIM HALL The school vaccination program for H1N1 was scheduled to resume this morning in three local schools. In addition, a state official reported yesterday that all doctors who signed up for the program have received an initial shipment of vaccine. Dr. John Petrasky, director of the Rappahannock Area Health District, said yesterday afternoon that he shipped vaccine to three schools for in-school clinics today. The schools are Caroline High School, Potomac Elementary in King George County and Fredericksburg Academy. Robert Graves, headmaster at Fredericksburg Academy, said last night that he learned about 11 a.m. yesterday that his school would receive 500 doses of vaccine. The school has about 450 students. Caroline County Public Schools said on its Web site yesterday afternoon that it had received 800 doses for distribution in the high school auditorium. With these shipments, Petrasky extends the vaccination program to two new school districts, Caroline and King George, and to a private school. Previously, only public schools in Stafford County had received the vaccine. Petrasky said in an e-mail that about half of the vaccine shipped to the schools is the nasal-mist variety. That is a higher percentage than was originally expected, he said. "The company that makes the live attenuated flu mist vaccine has had much greater success than any other manufacturer in growing the H1N1 virus in culture," Petrasky said. A Health Department nurse who has experience giving flu mist will be at each clinic to help the school nurses. "Flu mist has an excellent track record," Petrasky added. "Flu mist is often easier to give to children than a shot, and is in fact preferred by many pediatricians. It has also been used by the military with great results for many years." Graves said his school has received permission slips back from about 300 families. He expected more children to return the forms today. Graves said his school sponsored a seasonal flu clinic earlier this year. Children who fought the shot did not get one, he said. "We decided if they were going to fight that much, we weren't going to give them the shot," he said. "They were going to have to go to their own physicians." Graves said he was glad to have some of the nasal-mist version of the vaccine since reluctant children seem to tolerate it better. In her weekly update on H1N1, Dr. Karen Remley, state health commissioner, said yesterday that more than 300 school clinics have been held in Virginia since the start of the vaccination program. "It's a very efficient, effective way to get a lot of vaccine into children's noses and arms to help start protection for them," Remley said. More than 2,900 doctors statewide have signed up to be vaccinators. Remley said all of them have received some vaccine. "Not as much as they'd like to have to meet the needs of their entire patient population, but it gives them the opportunity to start," Remley said.
Jim Hall: 540/374-5433
There were extra doses of vaccine available at Fredericksburg Academy and they were given to healthy parents. This is a fact and every parent in the Rappahannock Health District should be outraged that healthy adults have received the vaccine before children. I have children with asthma and have been waiting patiently for our county to receive the vaccine. The extra vaccine should have been delivered to another school, not given to adults.
TwoPookies , the age group for early vaccination as recommended by the CDC is 6 months to 24 years of age which normally includes high school aged children, college aged young adults, elementary school aged children, and toddlers. The reason for prioritization is not because of age, but due to close proximity of their environments to others. Thus the risk is the same for a high school child and an elementary school child. If they were vaccinating healthy 40 year olds first then you might can question it.
Am I the only one that has an issue with the distribution to the high schools before the elementary? Isn't it all over the news that the younger age groups are more at risk? Please explain this to me, it doesn't make sense
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