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Swine flu vaccine to be free for elementary students

By TPR Staff

Students at San Luis Obispo County schools will be offered free H1N1 vaccines as they become available during the next several weeks, according to the county Health Agency and the county Office of Education.

“Vaccination is the best way to prevent the spread of influenza in schools and throughout the community” said Dr. Penny Borenstein, county public health officer.

The Public Health Department will offer the vaccines on a voluntary basis to ensure that any parent who wants their child vaccinated against the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, has the opportunity, Borenstein said.

The joint H1N1 vaccination program will first target elementary schools in the county and then expand to include middle and high schools as more vaccines become available.

Since the swine flu vaccine was released last month, the supply has been limited, although health officials had predicted that a larger amount would be available by now.

However, there has been a significant increase in the production during the past several weeks, and officials expect the vaccine will become easier to acquire in the coming weeks.

San Luis Obispo County received an additional 5,600 doses of the vaccine last week, which will be given to those in priority groups that are considered high-risk, like children and young adults.

“We are excited that the vaccine has begun to arrive in sufficient quantities in our county to allow us the opportunity to protect our children via this vaccination campaign,” Borenstein said. “As more vaccine becomes available, we hope to ensure that every person who wants a vaccine can receive one.”

Parents who want their children to be vaccinated at one of the upcoming school vaccination clinics must sign permission slips and promptly return them to the child’s school. Information packets were sent home to parents this week.

School staff considered high-risk also can be vaccinated at the upcoming clinics that could start as early as Tuesday, officials said.

Borenstein expects that the county will receive another 40,000 doses of the vaccine, but it’s unknown when the shipment will arrive, and if the thousands of additional doses will be shipped at the same time.

Since the end of August in the county, 21 individuals have been hospitalized with the H1N1 virus and one person has died from swine flu complications, according to the Health Agency.

BY THE NUMBERS: 5,600

Additional doses of H1N1 vaccine received by San Luis Obispo County last week.