HEMINGWAY—Students of Williamsburg county schools will have the option of receiving free H1N1 vaccines through a partnership between the district and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).
The Williamsburg County School District’s board of trustees approved a motion to work in conjunction with DHEC to assist that agency in distributing the H1N1 vaccine to area schools. The vaccines will be administered to students who have received a signed consent from their parent from Nov. 16-20.
“This is a program to keep our children safe,” interim superintendent Linda B. Huell said during a school board meeting held at Hemingway High School last week.
Trustees raised several concerns regarding specifics of the DHEC plan, mainly whether or not the district would be provided with a sufficient supply of the vaccine. Norma D. Bartelle, District 2, questioned recent media reports that have discussed the possibility of flu shot shortages. Huell said that according to the information she had been given by DHEC, there would be plenty of vaccines to go around.
A major concern centered on the fact that while students would be afforded the shots free of charge, faculty and staff would be required to pay for the injections themselves at a cost of $25. Trustee W.C. Henryhand expressed his disapproval that teachers and other members of the faculty would be charged to receive the vaccine.
“We need to give all our teachers a free flu shot,” Henryhand said during the faculty input portion of the board meeting. “So they can be healthy enough to teach our children.”
Henryhand went on to say that teachers should be given a specific date and time to receive the vaccinations that would not disrupt their normal workday. Interim superintendent Huell said teachers had been given the opportunity to receive a flu shot during a professional development day when classes were not being held. Henryhand continued and went on to make a motion that the faculty be given free flu shots, a motion that was declared out of order by board chairman, the Rev. Norman Gamble.
As the board broke for executive session, Henryhand broke decorum once more and attempted to address the faculty members present on the issue, being gaveled down by the chairman once more. “You’re out of order Mr. Henryhand,” Gamble said, prompting Henryhand to quickly reply, “You’re out of order!” as the board exited for executive session.
This isn’t the first time Gamble and Henryhand have exchanged words during a district event. An incident between the two at a board meeting earlier this year attracted some attention when Henryhand threatened to walk out of a board meeting, prompting an inappropriate comment from Gamble. The issue was resolved with Gamble apologizing at the following meeting and the board moving to have the comment stricken from the record. Last weeks incident indicates that tensions still exist between the two.
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