Schools signing up kids for free swine flu shots

[ztsmom]

Posted on: Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Advertising Staff

Participating Hawaii schools have begun sending home parental consent forms for upcoming in-school H1N1 vaccination clinics.
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The free, voluntary program is being offered to students in kindergarten through eighth grades statewide. Consent forms are due back to schools by Oct. 30.

"We're hoping that parents will take advantage of this convenient opportunity to get their keiki vaccinated," Chiyome Fukino, director of the state Department of Health, said yesterday in a news release. "Vaccination is the best protection you can offer your children to prevent complications from flu. We urge both keiki and their families to get both the seasonal and H1N1 vaccines in order to have maximum protection against both known flu strains circulating this year."

In-school immunization clinics for the seasonal flu are already under way.

For a list of schools offering H1N1 vaccination clinics, go to www.flu.hawaii.gov or call 2-1-1.

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20091021/NEWS01/910210368

[ztsmom]

Schools begin to inoculate students to prevent swine flu

By Helen Altonn

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 13, 2009
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Moanalua Middle School was scheduled today to became the first Hawaii school to inoculate children, faculty and staff for H1N1 influenza, or swine flu.

More than 320 schools statewide are participating in the H1N1 clinics, which follow the state Department of Health's Stop Flu at School seasonal flu school clinics.

Dr. Sarah Park, state epidemiologist and chief of the Disease Control Division, said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had allocated 181,400 doses of H1N1 vaccine to Hawaii as of yesterday, and they are gradually arriving here.

She said 80,000 doses have been set aside for the school clinics so they will not have to be closed, as some states did, because of lack of vaccine. She said a couple of clusters of flu activities have occurred at schools, but "they died down."

Bill Gallo, CDC senior management official for Hawaii and the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands, praised the Department of Health for "excellent work in preparing for an H1N1 vaccination campaign" despite frustrating vaccine delays and other challenges.

He said the CDC and the department are working closely to make sure priority groups are immunized as soon as possible. "The vaccine continues to come out in quite large quantities, but it also comes out slower than we expected and the manufacturers anticipated."

A video on flu.hawaii.gov, the department's Web site, answers questions people might have about the vaccine.

Hawaii has had 11 deaths associated with swine flu since May 5, including one child. All but one adult and the child had underlying medical problems.

The CDC announced yesterday that 4,000 or more Americans have died with swine flu -- about four times the estimate they were using.

Gallo pointed out an estimated 36,000 people die annually from seasonal flu, which is much greater than deaths actually confirmed in the lab.

"Every year people are dying of seasonal flu, and hundreds of thousands are hospitalized. Yet we take it as no big deal." Park said. Seasonal flu must be taken more seriously than it has in the past, she said, noting several cases recently occurred of seniors hospitalized and almost dying.

Priority groups for H1N1 vaccinations are those from 6 months to 24 years old, people who care for children under 6 months old, pregnant women, health care and emergency personnel and those 25 to 64 with health conditions.

http://www.starbulletin.com/news/20091113_Schools_begin_to_inoculate_students_to_prevent_swine_flu.html

[ztsmom]

Moanalua Middle gets swine flu shots

Posted on: Saturday, November 14, 2009

State program will offer free H1N1 vaccinations to Hawaii school kids

By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser Staff Writer

MOANALUA ? Students at Moanalua Middle School yesterday were the first in a clinic program for schools to get the H1N1 vaccine, the swine flu vaccine. The state program will vaccinate thousands of public and private school students.
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It went like a breeze. One line for the nasal spray version, another for an injection.

No one cried, though several students had their hands held. About 400 students got the vaccine yesterday.

Zachery Puulei-Loi-On rolled up his Moanalua Middle School T-shirt with apprehension.

"I don't like needles," Puulei-Loi-On said, adding, "It doesn't hurt as bad as getting injured in sports."

"This is about what we see with seasonal flu vaccinations," said Dr. Sarah Park, state Department of Health epidemiologist, of the number of students who were signed up for vaccine. "Children are part of the high-risk group and are vulnerable targets for this flu."

The state will hold 333 free H1N1 vaccination clinics at schools statewide through February, although most of the clinics are scheduled for before the winter break.

Public health officials are using the model established three years ago by the Stop Flu at School program, which gives free seasonal flu vaccinations to students, Park said. School clinics for seasonal flu vaccinations also are being held now.

Eryn Yuasa, a Moanalua Middle seventh-grader, said she's had two flu vaccinations this year so far and both were by way of nasal spray.

"It felt kind of weird, something in your nose, but you can't blow it out," Yuasa said. "My parents wanted me to get the vaccine. It felt kind of weird, but it's OK now. I don't do well with shots."

The federal government has allotted Hawai'i more than 181,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine. About 80,000 are slated for the school clinics. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children 9 and younger receive a second dose of H1N1 vaccine. Parents will be responsible for getting the second dose from their doctors.

"If I can help even one child from getting the flu, then I've done my job," Park said. "These clinics are a way to ensure easy access to the vaccine."

School-age children are among the high-risk groups for the H1N1, or swine flu, virus. The first vaccinations in Hawai'i were offered to health care workers, and emergency medical service and critical civil defense personnel.

The next priority level for vaccination is anyone between the ages of 6 months and 24 years; and people with chronic medical conditions.

More doses come in weekly and once the high-risk groups get vaccinated, the general public will be inoculated against this strain of the flu.

Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com.

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20091114/NEWS15/911140323/Moanalua+Middle+gets+swine+flu+shots