Florence School District 1 officials had a press conference Friday morning to explain why children should get the H1N1, or swine flu, vaccine, and announced they didn’t get the response they were hoping for from parents in returning consent forms for their children to get the vaccine.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control is administering the shots free of charge in schools all across South Carolina.
Superintendent Larry Jackson said he wanted to get the word out to parents as to just how crucial the vaccines could be.
“Florence 1 has over 15,000 students, yet only one-third of the parents have provided consent for their children to be vaccinated,” he said.“Responses came in on Friday, Oct. 30, and medical experts say that the best way to avoid the H1N1 virus is to be vaccinated; therefore we are doing what we can to make sure that the parents are aware that the vaccine is available.”
Florence 1 elementary school students will be able to receive the vaccine Wednesday. District officials will send permission forms home to those students’ parents to remind them. The forms should be returned to school by Monday.
“Our goal is not to overemphasize the availability of the vaccine, but simply to make parents who are not aware of the school clinics, that they simply have an opportunity to have their children vaccinated in schools next Wednesday free of charge,” Jackson said.
Other districts also have sent home consent forms for the H1N1 vaccination in schools, but Florence 1 will be the first school district in the Pee Dee to receive the vaccinations.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommend the H1N1 influenza vaccine to anyone age 6 months through 24; anyone 25 through 64 with certain chronic medical conditions; health care and emergency medical personnel; people who live with or care for infants younger than 6 months old; and pregnant women.
Parents who have questions about the vaccine can call DHEC at (800) 27-SHOTS.
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