Manatee district schedules H1N1 vaccinations

Three East County elementary schools are among the first seven in Manatee County that will receive the H1N1 flu immunizations, the Manatee County Health Department and Manatee County Public Schools announced this afternoon.

Students at the following schools will be able to receive the vaccinations on the scheduled date and times.

Anna Maria Elementary: 3:30-7 p.m., Nov. 6
Blackburn Elementary: 3:30-7 p.m., Nov. 9
Bayshore Elementary: 3:30-7 p.m., Nov. 10
Freedom Elementary: 3:30-7 p.m., Nov. 12
Braden River Elementary: 3:30-7 p.m., Nov. 13
Kinnan Elementary: 3:30-7 p.m., Nov. 16
Tillman Elementary: 3:30-7 p.m., Nov. 17

At the clinics on the specified dates, health department staff will provide the vaccines in schools to students enrolled whose parents or guardians are present with signed consent forms. A parental consent form and information packet is being distributed to all Manatee students this week.

The packets contain the consent form and vaccine information sheets that explain the risks and contraindications associated with any immunization. Parents who want their children to receive the vaccine will be required to return the consent forms to their school within three days after receipt. Parents who do not wish to have their children vaccinated can simply not return the consent form. Parents are urged to read all of the information in the packet and consult their primary care provider if they have questions concerning the H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine. Many parents may also opt to have their child vaccinated at their physician’s office.

Children under the age 10 are required to receive a second dose of the vaccine. A second clinic will be held at your child’s school after 21 to 28 days.

“We are targeting our elementary students first as they have been identified as more at risk than middle and high school age students, as indicated in Manatee County’s laboratory syndromic surveillance data," said Dr. Jennifer Bencie, administrator for the health department. "We expect to have all of the public elementary school clinics scheduled between now and the December holidays. We will release another schedule of clinic sites and dates by mid November, in accordance to the availability of the vaccine."