Joseph Beyrle, nurse at Earhart, volunteered to help give H1N1 vaccines to students at Peterson.

H1N1 vaccine clinics begin
The Sedgwick County Health Department held four H1N1 vaccine clinics for students at Benton, Kensler, McCollom and Peterson on November 13. More than 700 students received the vaccine.

"It went very well," said Kathy Gilmore, nurse at Peterson Elementary. "It's wonderful that there are so many volunteers to help out. It made the day go smoothly."

Gilmore's advice for schools that haven't had the clinic yet is to make sure parents turn in the permission slips ahead of time. The number of vaccines that are delivered to the schools is based on the number of permission slips.

"We want to make sure we have enough vaccine for everyone," she said.

More H1N1 vaccine clinics will be held on Thursday, November 19 and Friday, November 20. Schools that will host the clinics on November 19 are Gardiner, Linwood, Payne, Buckner and Chisholm Trail. Schools that will host the clinics on November 20 are Franklin, Lawrence, Stanley, Lincoln, Harry Street, Mueller. Earhart will host its clinic on November 24.  The vaccine will be available to students and to staff who are pregnant at those schools only.

It will not be mandatory for any student to receive the H1N1 vaccine; the school clinics merely offer the vaccine in the most convenient place possible for one of the priority vaccine groups.

Future dates for vaccination clinics at other schools have not been determined. Much will depend on when vaccines will be delivered to the Sedgwick County Health Department and the amount of vaccine that is received. Dates for the clinics will be provided to the schools as soon as the district receives notification.




November 13, 2009