TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Hillsborough parents favor swine flu vaccination, survey says

Staff photo by PAUL LAMISON

Nicole Ritchey, a nurse with the Hillsborough Health Department, prepares to give students at Caminiti Exceptional Center the swine flu vaccine.

ADVERTISEMENT

By MARY SHEDDEN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 20, 2009

TAMPA - More than half of Hillsborough County public school parents say they want the swine flu vaccination for their children, a survey released today shows.

The school district phone survey conducted Monday night showed half of the 25,551 parents who responded planned on getting the swine flu vaccine that are being distributed in local schools today.

More than 134,000 automated calls were made as part of the survey.

According to a district statement, 14,034, or 55 percent, of the parents responded yes; 6,053, or 24 percent, said no. Another 5,464, or 21 percent, were undecided.

The vaccine is being offered free at local schools.

Widespread vaccinations are taking place in schools in Hillsborough and across the county, as students are among people most at-risk for complications from the H1N1 virus. Pregnant women, health care workers, and those who care for infants also have been identified as priority groups for the vaccine.

Health department officials are issuing vaccines in Hillsborough today to students at five exceptional student education centers: Caminiti, Lavoy, Dover (Willis Peters), and Eisenhower.

Local schools will continue administering shots or nasal spray doses based on availability of the vaccines. The school district expects to start at certain middle and high schools next week, including Freedom, Newsome, Steinbrenner, and East Bay high schools, and Liberty, Randall, Martinez, and Eisenhower middle schools.

The survey results are far higher than the participation rate for seasonal flu vaccines. State health department data show that roughly 30 percent of Hillsborough County adults got seasonal flu shots in 2007. Numbers for children are similar.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone 6 months and older receive the swine flu vaccine. Seasonal flu shots, which already are widely available, also are recommended.

Reporter Mary Shedden can be reached at (813) 259-7365.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT