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Schools swine flu vaccine schedule set

By Jared Felkins
The Times-Journal

Published November 27, 2009

Pre-kindergarteners through third graders will receive the first round of two swine flu vaccinations at Fort Payne City and DeKalb County schools starting Monday.

State health department officials will be on hand to administer the swine flu nasal spray vaccine at the schools next week. As required, a second dose of nasal spray will be needed about 30 days later, which may conflict with students getting out for Christmas break.

Parents of the lower-grade students had to sign permission slips that were sent to homes last week.

Fort Payne superintendent Jimmy Cunningham said the nasal spray will be given at city schools at 8 a.m. on Tuesday.

“We plan to give that to every Fort Payne student that has a signed permission form,” Cunningham said.

Cunningham said as many as 1,100 students in Fort Payne schools could take advantage of the vaccine. He said the last chance to receive the second round of nasal spray would be Dec. 18 unless state health officials wait until after Christmas break.

He said older students will be given the opportunity to receive the swine flu vaccine in the form of shots sometime in January.

DeKalb County superintendent Charles Warren said health officials will give the vaccine at schools throughout the week.

The DeKalb schedule begins with Collinsville and Crossville schools Monday at 8 a.m. Fyffe and Geraldine schools students will receive the vaccine Wednesday at 8 a.m. On Thursday, health officials will be at Valley Head and Henagar schools at 8 a.m. and Moon Lake and Ruhama schools at noon. Students at Ider, Sylvania and Plainview schools will receive the vaccine Friday at 8 a.m.

“The plan is to go to every school in DeKalb County during the week of Nov. 30,” Warren said. “We are going to be cooperative and helpful. The H1N1 vaccine is in short supply, so I guess they decided to vaccinate the younger children first,” Warren said.

He said school employees would also get the vaccine in the form of a shot sometime in January. In the shot form, only one vaccination is necessary.

Health officials said the nasal mist vaccine (live, attenuated intranasal vaccine) is sprayed into each nostril and is not an injection. The viruses in the nasal-spray vaccine are weakened and do not cause severe symptoms often associated with influenza illness. In children, side effects from the nasal mist vaccine can include runny nose, wheezing, headache, vomiting, muscle aches and fever.

For the general public, the swine flu vaccine will be given Monday from 1-4:30 p.m. at the DeKalb County Health Department.

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