TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

More students get vaccinated

ADVERTISEMENT

By SHERRI ACKERMAN

sackerman@tampatrib.com

Published: November 4, 2009

TAMPA - The Hillsborough County Health Department vaccinated 2,162 elementary school students, their parents and teachers against the swine flu Monday at four after-school centers.

Health department workers delivered an additional 4,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine Tuesday to the centers, located from Brandon to Tampa. The three high schools and a technical center will be open from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. through Thursday, spokesman Steve Huard said.

Workers will return to five different sites next week, he said. Those are Plant City, Sickles, Riverview and Tampa Bay Technical high schools and Sulphur Springs Elementary School.

The after-school centers will be open from 3:30 to 7 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. The centers will be closed on Wednesday.

Elementary school students must have a parent or guardian present and a signed permission slip. Students' siblings and parents also can get vaccinated, Huard said. The centers are offering the seasonal flu vaccine as well, he said.

Workers continue to provide more shots than nasal mist, Huard said, adding that he wished parents would heed recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The nasal spray is intended for people ages 2 to 49 who are in good health, the CDC has said.

It's painless, Huard added, and it doesn't contain the preservative Thimerosal, a subject of debate because it contains traces of mercury.

The spray does contain the live flu virus, but it's a weakened form that the CDC says will not cause or spread illness.

For information about vaccination schedules, go to www.sdhc.k12.fl.us and click on H1N1.

Reporter Sherri Ackerman can be reached at (813) 259-7144.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT