Mobile Version: mobile.newsandsentinel.com
 
RSS:
Parkersburg Weather Forecast, WV (26101)
Member Login: Email: Password:
Search: Local News Classified EZToUseBigBook Web
Business  Local News  Obituaries  Sports  Community information  Ads  Jobs  House-to-home  Polls  Blogs  CU Galleries  Contact us
News

Wood Schools: Flu clinics a success

By MICHAEL ERB and BRETT DUNLAP merb@newsandsentinel.com bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com
POSTED: October 28, 2009

Article Photos


PARKERSBURG - Officials say Monday's H1N1 vaccine clinics at Wood County's public elementary schools was an overall success, with only a handful of schools running short on H1N1vaccine.

The news comes on the tail of a private schools vaccine clinic held Tuesday at Parkersburg Catholic High School.

Teresa Bayer, director of health services for Wood County Schools, said more than 1,850 doses of vaccine were administered Monday to public school students ages 9 and under.

Only a handful of schools - Kanawha, Blennerhassett, Lubeck and Madison - reported running short on vaccine, though initial reports indicate Greenmont may have ran short as well.

"Overall it went very well," Bayer said. "At least nine schools reported they were able to give the vaccine to all students 9 and under who showed an interest, but at this point I don't have all the schools reporting back."

Flu clinic dates have been set for the district's middle and high schools as well. Though parents are required to give written permission, they do not need to be present when those shots are administered, Bayer said, which was a requirement for the elementary school vaccinations.

On Nov. 4, vaccine will be administered at VanDevender Middle School beginning at 8:10 a.m., at Hamilton Middle School when the vaccinations are completed at Vandy, and at Jackson Middle School beginning at 1 p.m.

On Nov. 5, Edison Middle School students may get vaccinated beginning at 8:10 a.m., with Blennerhassett Middle School vaccinations being administered after the completion of Edison.

For the high schools, the tentative dates and times are 12:50 p.m. Nov. 12 at Williamstown High School, and on Nov. 13 for the Parkersburg high schools, with Parkersburg High beginning at 8:10 a.m. and Parkersburg South High beginning at 1:45 p.m.

All doses will be administered by the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department, Bayer said. Both nasal and injection vaccines should be available.

"All of these dates are dependent upon the health department receiving the vaccines promised them," Bayer said, adding parents should immediately return any permission forms sent home to ensure their students are enrolled for the shots. For most schools the forms are available online by visiting the school's Web site and clicking on the H1N1 link.

Health department officials say additional clinics for the elementary school students are planned for Nov. 5-6 at 4:30-8 p.m. and at Nov. 7 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Dils Center on Market Street in Parkersburg. Those students will still be required to get two shots: One initial dose and a booster dose 30 days later.

Clinics for the booster shots are planned for Nov. 30 and for Dec. 1-2. Officials hope to begin administering H1N1 vaccine to non-students ages 24 and younger at those clinics.

The clinic held Tuesday at Parkersburg Catholic High School was open to all students, 18 and younger, of the area's private schools.

''Because it was the private schools we decided to do them all at one time, only because we had plenty of vaccine,'' said Carrie Brainard, the flu information coordinator for the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department. ''We decided since this was a small group of people we would just do them and take care of it.''

 
Share:
Facebook  MySpace  Digg  Stumble    Mixx  Fark  del.icio.us   LiveSpaces
 
Member Comments
View Comments: | 1-2 | Post a comment
WVtruthsquadleader
10-28-09 11:07 PM
I'm sorry, is this a news story or an op/ed piece?

Bub1989
10-28-09 3:07 PM
so when do the 10 year old elementary students get there vaccine?

You must first login before you can comment.
Existing Member Login
Not a Member?
Create a Member Account  
*Your email address:
*Password:
    Forgot Password?
  Remember my email address.
 
Business  Local News  Obituaries  Sports  Community information  Ads  Jobs  House-to-home  Polls  Blogs  CU Galleries  Contact us