October 15, 2009

H1N1 Flu Delivery Campaign Starts with Schools

As more H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine becomes available, the Central District Health Department (CDHD) is implementing plans for distributing the vaccine starting in the state’s two largest school districts. CDHD personnel, working with teams of school nurses, will begin vaccinating children in Boise and Meridian elementary schools on Monday October 19, 2009. As more vaccine becomes available CDHD will expand vaccine availability to other priority groups.

“School age children are among the priority groups identified by the CDC.” said Kimberly Link, Program Manager of Public Health Preparedness at CDHD. “Our first shipments of vaccine came in the nasal spray form, which is a good match for children, so that’s where we’re going to begin.”

Strike Teams of CDHD and school nurses will travel from school-to-school in the Boise and Meridian School districts starting with the elementary schools and working up to junior high and high school levels. It’s hoped a majority of school children in those districts can be reached by week’s end. The program is completely voluntary. All vaccines administered through the school program are free.

Parents will need to fill out and send to school with their children a consent form. Consent forms are being distributed through school districts and are available on the CDHD website: www.cdhd.idaho.gov.

Plans to provide school-based H1N1 flu vaccinations in private and charter schools are still being developed. In the meantime, parents of children in those school settings are encouraged to take their children to one of the Points of Dispensing (PODs)flu clinics that will open in Ada County Saturday October 24th, in Boise County on October 28th, in Valley County October 26th & 27th and in Elmore County October 30th.

CDHD Immunization Clinics Closed Week of October 19th

The Immunizations Clinic at the CDHD Boise office will be closed the week of October 19th because CDHD personnel will be part of the effort to vaccinate area school children. Regular clinic hours will resume on Monday October 26th. Currently no other CDHD clinical areas will be affected, but this is subject to change.

For more information on the flu please visit the CDHD website at www.cdhd.idaho.gov or call the CDHD Flu Hotline at 321-2222.