PRIORITY: State wants people most at risk to be the first in line for doses.
The state on Thursday received the first swine flu vaccine that it is targeting for the general public.
It is sending about 8,500 doses to major pharmacies and community health centers, where it should be available around Oct. 29, said Greg Wilkenson, spokesman for the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.
Fred Meyer, Carrs, Walgreens, Geneva Woods Pharmacy, and the Soldotna Professional Pharmacy will get the vaccine.
Separately, the city health department announced it will offer vaccinations for all comers in mass clinics on the UAA campus the first three Saturdays of November and December.
So far the state has received 30,800 doses of swine flu vaccine, about a third of it this week. More vaccine is coming in weekly.
The shipments prior to this week were designated for children, hospital workers and pregnant women, and were distributed to health centers, hospitals, pediatricians' offices, obstetricians, gynecologists and birthing centers.
The state is still asking the public to allow people in five priority groups -- people at most risk -- to be first in line, Wilkenson said.
The priority groups are pregnant women, anyone caring for or living with babies under six months; people aged 6 months to 24 years; health care workers; and adults aged 25 to 64 with chronic health problems.
The Anchorage School District is preparing for mass vaccinations through all 95 of its schools beginning Nov. 2.
Its plans and city-sponsored clinics at UAA are both contingent on the steady arrival of more vaccine.
The school district has set up an ambitious schedule that calls for a roving band of about 20 school nurses to tackle about a half dozen schools a day, averaging 3,200 vaccinations.
The nurses will move through town much the same way Anchorage plows its streets, neighborhood by neighborhood.
For example, on one day the plan calls for hitting half a dozen Birchwood and Chugiak elementary, middle and high schools; on another day, the nurses will vaccinate students at a half-dozen East Anchorage schools.
Mark Mew, head of school district security, said he thinks there will be barely enough vaccine available to carry out the plan on schedule. If there's not, Plan B would be to get the elementary schools first and go to larger middle and high schools between Thanksgiving and Christmas vacation.
The district is still sending out permission slips, and will likely get many back next week during parent-teacher conferences, said Superintendent Carol Comeau. Permission slips also are available at asdk12.org, under district news headlines, "ASD to offer H1N1 vaccine for students."
Meantime, schools seem to be holding their own against the flu, said Comeau. At the beginning of the school year, a high number of students missed days, with 11,258 absences one week. Last week, there were 6,723 absences.
Comeau credits strong delivery of the message that students should wash hands frequently, cough into their sleeves and stay home when sick.
The city clinics at UAA are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the UAA Student Union Building on Nov. 7, 14 and 21, and at the UAA Cuddy Center Dec. 5, 12 and 19.
The state on Thursday received the first swine flu vaccine that it is targeting for the general public.
It is sending about 8,500 doses to major pharmacies and community health centers, where it should be available around Oct. 29, said Greg Wilkenson, spokesman for the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.
Fred Meyer, Carrs, Walgreens, Geneva Woods Pharmacy, and the Soldotna Professional Pharmacy will get the vaccine.
Separately, the city health department announced it will offer vaccinations for all comers in mass clinics on the UAA campus the first three Saturdays of November and December.
So far the state has received 30,800 doses of swine flu vaccine, about a third of it this week. More vaccine is coming in weekly.
The shipments prior to this week were designated for children, hospital workers and pregnant women, and were distributed to health centers, hospitals, pediatricians' offices, obstetricians, gynecologists and birthing centers.
The state is still asking the public to allow people in five priority groups -- people at most risk -- to be first in line, Wilkenson said.
The priority groups are pregnant women, anyone caring for or living with babies under six months; people aged 6 months to 24 years; health care workers; and adults aged 25 to 64 with chronic health problems.
The Anchorage School District is preparing for mass vaccinations through all 95 of its schools beginning Nov. 2.
Its plans and city-sponsored clinics at UAA are both contingent on the steady arrival of more vaccine.
The school district has set up an ambitious schedule that calls for a roving band of about 20 school nurses to tackle about a half dozen schools a day, averaging 3,200 vaccinations.
The nurses will move through town much the same way Anchorage plows its streets, neighborhood by neighborhood.
For example, on one day the plan calls for hitting half a dozen Birchwood and Chugiak elementary, middle and high schools; on another day, the nurses will vaccinate students at a half-dozen East Anchorage schools.
Mark Mew, head of school district security, said he thinks there will be barely enough vaccine available to carry out the plan on schedule. If there's not, Plan B would be to get the elementary schools first and go to larger middle and high schools between Thanksgiving and Christmas vacation.
The district is still sending out permission slips, and will likely get many back next week during parent-teacher conferences, said Superintendent Carol Comeau. Permission slips also are available at asdk12.org, under district news headlines, "ASD to offer H1N1 vaccine for students."
Meantime, schools seem to be holding their own against the flu, said Comeau. At the beginning of the school year, a high number of students missed days, with 11,258 absences one week. Last week, there were 6,723 absences.
Comeau credits strong delivery of the message that students should wash hands frequently, cough into their sleeves and stay home when sick.
The city clinics at UAA are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the UAA Student Union Building on Nov. 7, 14 and 21, and at the UAA Cuddy Center Dec. 5, 12 and 19.
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