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Mass vaccinations planned at schools when flu shot arrives
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By: Eric Quade
| 11/06/2009 |
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Mass vaccinations are planned at school districts across Barron County once the area receives its share of the serum aimed at shielding the population from the new H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu.
Officials for the Barron Area School District have announced that later this month, or possibly into December, an immunization clinic will be held for students and staff who express an interest in receiving a shot. Students wanting a swine flu vaccination must turn in a permission slip. The vaccination will be voluntary.
Sue Rafferty, a nurse for the school district, said that Public Health will be administering the vaccinations when they become available. Schools offer an ideal place for the immunizations to take place because the H1N1 virus has been documented to hit the younger population particularly hard.
The swine flu vaccinations will mark new territory in Rafferty's 9 years of school nurse experience. It will be the first time she has seen shots given out at school in order to fight a pandemic.
Luckily, Rafferty said that H1N1 appears to already be in remission in Barron schools.
"It has definitely peaked, and we're on the downside," she said.
The school district first saw a significant increase in absences due to flu-like symptoms 2 weeks ago. The trend peaked last week. But now, student attendance is back to near normal levels, she said.
School officials still report any flu-related absences to Public Health on a daily basis.
Due to volatility in the swine flu vaccine's supply, state health officials are recommending that the limited resources now available should be rationed only to these select groups:
* Persons who live with or provide care for infants aged 6 months or younger. Parents, siblings and daycare providers would fall into this category
* Children aged 6 months-4 years old
* Children and youth who are 5-18 years old with chronic medical conditions-such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease-that put them at risk for influenza-related complications
* Pregnant women
As of Oct. 27, Wisconsin had been allocated 405,000 doses of swine flu vaccine, and Secretary Karen Timberlake of the Department of Health Services said that directing the limited supply toward segments of the population most at-risk would be a safe, short-term strategy.
"As we have seen in every state in the nation, the supply of H1N1 vaccine is unpredictable. Therefore, the safest course of action is to target the vaccine we do have for those who are most-at-risk of becoming seriously ill from this virus," Timberlake said. "While we do not anticipate this will need to be a long-term strategy, we've issued guidance to help our health professionals make the largest impact with the vaccine that is available."
Mass inoculations of the general public are being discouraged at this time.
A limited supply of H1N1 vaccine is currently available on a walk-in basis at the Public Health Office in Barron for the target groups previously described. Pregnant women are encouraged to contact their medical providers first. The office is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Beginning at 9 a.m. Nov. 5, Public Health will also be running an H1N1 immunization clinic at room 110 in the Barron County Government Center for the targeted groups. The free vaccine, both in shot and nasal spray form, will be available until 1 p.m. or as supply permits. Children under 10 will need two vaccines 28 days apart.
A Barron County hotline is available to check vaccine availability. To monitor local supply, call 537-6333.
The vaccine for swine flu shares many characteristics with its seasonal flu counterpart, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The H1N1 vaccine consists of dead versions of the virus, and this can then be injected into muscle. It is expected to be as safe and effective as seasonal flu vaccines, though it won't protect against seasonal flu; a separate shot targeting the traditional flu is also encouraged. The risk of serious harm from an allergic reaction to a swine flu vaccination is described as extremely small.
The CDC cautions that the swine flu is a new type of flu virus. As such, most people have little or no immunity to it. Symptoms of swine flu infection can include fever, fatigue, chills, sore throat, coughing, sneezing, muscle aches and even diarrhea or vomiting.
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©Barron News Shield 2009
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