By The North Chilton Advertiser staff

County health departments are coordinating H1N1 influenza clinics through Alabama public schools to administer vaccines at no cost to students.
The Chilton County Health Department will begin these clinics for K-3 students on Dec. 7.
Clinics will be held on the following dates and locations for K-3 students in north Chilton County:
• Dec. 14-15 at Jemison Elementary School from 7:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.
• Dec. 16 at Thorsby School from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The vaccines will be administered in a nasal mist form, which requires a spray up each nostril. Because two doses are recommended for children under 10, a second dose will be given about four weeks after the first is administered.
Although the vaccine is free, parental consent is required. But there are health risks involved for children with ongoing medical conditions.
We encourage parents to take H1N1 influenza seriously. Carefully read all the information yourself to decide whether the nasal mist vaccine is right for your child. Those in need of more information should visit www.adph.org or contact the local health department at 755-1287.
The most important thing is making the decision for yourself.

By Scott Mims

The Chilton County Health Department has set tentative dates for H1N1 influenza clinics in local schools.
The H1N1 vaccines will be administered in the nasal mist form at schools statewide in November and December. A child’s parents must give written permission before he or she can receive the vaccine.
“We’re going to schedule the large schools first,” Clinic Supervisor Ludean Hicks said. “We’re asking parents to get forms back by Nov. 30.”
Clinics will be held on the following dates and locations for K-3 students in north Chilton County:
• Dec. 14-15 at Jemison Elementary School from 7:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.
• Dec. 16 at Thorsby School from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Beginning last week, parents started receiving packets containing a vaccine information statement informing them about the vaccine and the disease. The vaccine will be administered at no cost.
Parents whose children have compromised immune systems or long-term health problems are advised to take their children to their physician, another health care provider or county health department to obtain an injectable influenza vaccine. In addition, children who have close contact with a person with a severely weakened immunized system, such as a person requiring care in a protected environment, should not receive the vaccine in nasal mist form.
Children with the following conditions should not get the nasal mist vaccine:
• Severe, life-threatening allergies to eggs or allergies to any other substance in the vaccine
• Weakened immune system
• Long-term health problems (heart disease, lung disease, asthma, kidney or liver disease, diabetes or other metabolic disease, anemia or other blood disorders)
• Muscle or nerve disorders (such as cerebral palsy) that can lead to breathing or swallowing problems
• Children on long-term aspirin treatment
“We strongly encourage parents to be proactive and treat the spread of this disease very seriously,” State Superintendent of Education Dr. Joseph Morton said.
The goal is to administer local K-3 vaccines by the Christmas holidays. Hicks said vaccines for older students should be available by January.
For more information, visit www.adph.org or call 1-877-377-7285. The Chilton County Health Department may be reached at 755-1287.

By Scott Mims

The Chilton County Health Department expects to coordinate H1N1 flu vaccine clinics in local schools this fall, possibly by November.

The department will work with school nurses and volunteers to administer free vaccines to students upon parents’ consent, said Clinic Supervisor Ludean Hicks.

“The schools have everything set up. All they are waiting on is the vaccine,” Hicks said. “Even if we receive it by next week, it will be November before we can start giving it out.”

The H1N1 vaccines given at schools are expected to come in the form of shots rather than the nasal spray, she added. Hicks also said the health department plans on administering vaccines to the public later this fall, but the department currently has no vaccine.

Statewide, Alabama should receive 2.8 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine by the first week in January.

That’s more than twice the amount of traditional flu vaccine the state normally sees each year, said Director of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Dr. Jim McVay.

“There will be enough vaccine for everyone who wants it. The problem is, everyone wants it today,” McVay explained.

H1N1, also known as swine flu, accounts for 99 percent of all current influenza cases in Alabama, but the demand for vaccine is so high that it could take until January to fill all orders.

While there will be no charge for doses through schools and county health departments, others may charge up to $18.62 for the vaccine, which is the Medicare reimbursement rate for immunization

Hospitals will probably be the first to receive doses of the nasal mist, he added. After that, the next concentration will be on schools.

“It’s a large undertaking going to each school. It will take at least a month to get to all the schools,” McVay said.

He recommends that all students receive the vaccine when available and that those with H1N1 remain home until they have been without fever for at least 24 hours. Notices will be sent home to parents prior to any clinic.