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Swine flu shots start in schools

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By SHERRI ACKERMAN and MARY SHEDDEN

sackerman@tampatrib.com mshedden@tampatrib.com

Published: October 21, 2009

TAMPA - Frankie Jackson was all smiles late Tuesday morning while waiting for his swine flu shot.

"I didn't want the shot," the Caminiti Exceptional Center fourth-grader said while standing in line. "I told my parents, 'If you sign the paper, I'm not going to school.'"

Frankie's parents signed the permission slip that allowed health department workers to administer the vaccine at school. Then, Frankie said, they stood at the bus stop with him to make sure he went to school.

He did. And he got his shot. Right after another boy, who cried mightily.

Did the shot hurt?

"Not really," said Frankie, who turns 11 today. "It's like a little pinch," he added, giggling as he squeezed a little skin from his arm.

Frankie was among 30 students at the exceptional center receiving the vaccine Tuesday as the Hillsborough County Health Department begins its massive swine flu vaccination campaign.

Widespread vaccinations are planned at schools statewide 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.

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

More than half of Hillsborough County public school parents say they want the swine flu vaccination for their children, a survey released Tuesday 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 being distributed for free in local schools Tuesday.

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

The district said 55 percent of the respondents said yes; 24 percent said no and 21 percent were undecided.

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

Caminiti Principal Bobbie Pittman said parents of about 75 students originally agreed to have their children vaccinated at the school, which has an enrollment of about 180 students. A health department screening found many students were not eligible because of medical conditions such as seizures, Pittman said.

Those students can get the vaccine at their doctor's office, health officials have said.

Teacher's aide Lisa Knox is among parents who signed up for her daughter, Sarah, to receive the vaccine. It's the first time the 6-year-old, who has Charge syndrome, has received any type of flu vaccine, her mother said.

"I just talked to my doctor and he really wanted her to get it," said Knox, who also was vaccinated. "From everything I've seen in the news, with kids getting really sick and passing away at such a young age ... I sure don't want that to happen."

Knox said her husband and their three other children also will be vaccinated against the swine flu as well as the seasonal strain.

Hillsborough schools will continue administering shots or nasal spray doses based on availability of the vaccines.

The school district expects to start giving vaccines at selected middle and high schools next week. The vaccine will be available to elementary students starting the week of Nov. 2.

For updated vaccination schedules, call (813) 307-8073 or go to www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/flu

Reporter Sherri Ackerman can be reached at (813) 259-7144. Reporter Mary Shedden can be reached at (813) 259-7365.

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