Hillsborough plans more school swine flu vaccinations

More Hillsborough County schools will offer swine flu shots in the next two weeks, thanks to an increased vaccination supply.

By the end of this latest round of vaccinations, the Hillsborough County Health Department will have been to every public middle and high school in the county and made the vaccine available to elementary school students after school.

Up until now, health officials have only been able to visit four to six schools a week. In the next two weeks, health department officials will visit more than 20 schools during school hours and provide vaccinations after school at four high schools.

Only students attending the middle or high schools offering the shots will be eligible. The shots will be given during school hours.

The after-school vaccination programs are intended to provide vaccine for students at elementary, charter and virtual schools.

No child will receive a vaccination without a signed consent form. No elementary school student will be vaccinated without a parent or guardian.

The increased supply of vaccine is a sign of growing availability.

In the past three weeks, the government has allocated more than 1.7 million doses to Florida, including 121,800 new doses for Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Polk counties. Since mid-October, more than 678,000 doses have been distributed in Manatee, Sarasota and the other four local counties.

On Saturday, immunization clinics in Polk and Sarasota counties started offering the vaccine to people outside the priority groups for swine flu vaccination. Also, in larger counties including Hillsborough, retail health clinics at Walgreens and CVS stores are being approved to serve as vaccine outlets for the public.

These latest moves come after months of delays in distributing the vaccine, which targets the fast-spreading but mostly mild swine flu. Priority groups, such as pregnant women, school-age children and teens, remain a major concern.

Nationwide, the vaccine supply still lags with 69 million of 259 million doses expected by year's end released so far, according to federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates.

Hillsborough school Vaccination scedule

Monday, Dec. 14 - Tuesday, Dec. 15
Jefferson High School
Plant City High School
Riverview High School
Wharton High School

Wednesday, Dec. 16 - Thursday, Dec. 17
Alonso High School
Armwood High School
Blake High School
Brandon High School

Monday, Dec. 14
Buchanan Middle
Burns Middle
Franklin Middle
Madison Middle

Tuesday, Dec. 15
McLane Middle
Monroe Middle
Sgt. Smith Middle
Turkey Creek Middle

Wednesday, Dec. 16
Farnell Middle
Ferrell Middle
Rodgers Middle
Shields Middle

Thursday, Dec. 17
Adams Middle
Roland Park (6-8 only)
Van Buren Middle
Williams Middle
Wilson Middle

After school vaccination centers
Monday, Dec. 14 - Thursday, Dec. 17
3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Brandon High School
Lennard High School
Steinbrenner High School
Wharton High School *

*Wharton will not offer vaccinations on Wednesday, December 16, due to another event on campus.