Vaccinations for the novel H1N1 virus, also referred to as swine flu, will be administered in Dorchester District 2 schools beginning Nov. 16.
Students in grades K5 through 12th-grade are eligible for the free vaccine at school clinics.
Nurses from the Department of Health and Environment Control (DHEC) will administer the vaccinations at one school per day on average, said Pat Raynor, Dorchester 2 public information officer.
Children will not be vaccinated unless consent forms, which will be sent home with students starting Nov. 9, are returned and signed by parents.
DHEC randomly assigned each school a day for the vaccines to be administered, but made the decision to start with elementary schools. Eagle Nest Elementary is the first school in the district at which immunizations will be given.
As will be the case in each tri-county school district, health officials will administer the vaccines first at elementary schools, then middle schools and finally high schools with the goal being to have elementary and middle school children vaccinated by winter holidays and high school students by the end of January, said Linda Pranger, spokesperson for the Region 7 DHEC, which covers Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties.
Nov. 18 is an early release day for elementary schools, which doesn’t make it conducive to giving vaccinations, so shots will instead be offered at Alston Middle School so DHEC doesn’t “lose” a day.
Pranger says people between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old are among the high-risk groups for contracting H1N1 and that “it’s much better to get the vaccine and be protected against the illness than it is to risk getting the illness.”
The schedule for school clinics may change based on vaccination availability and the number of consent forms returned, Pranger said.
H1N1 vaccines provided in the schools are only for students at that school. Between four and six nurses will be at each school to administer the vaccines, Raynor said.
At most schools, vaccination clinics will be held in the media center. Students receiving the vaccine will be accompanied by their teacher and will remain in the clinic for 15 minutes following the vaccination to be monitored, Raynor said.
DHEC is requesting that all consent forms be returned within two days of when parents receive them. Parents who do not want their child to receive the vaccination have two options. They can either not return the consent form or choose an option on the form that specifies they don’t want their child to receive the shot.
A letter from DHEC as well as a fact sheet about the vaccination will accompany consent forms.
Parents are not permitted in school clinics when vaccinations are being offered, but guidance counselors and school staff will be on hand to comfort students.
Free vaccinations are also available for children at the local health department by appointment (953-0090).

H1N1 vaccination schedule

Below are the tentative dates that H1N1 vaccines will be administered in schools. Dates are subject to change based on the availability of vaccines and the number of parent consent forms returned for each school.

Nov. 16: Eagle Nest Elementary

Nov. 17: Windsor Hill Elementary

Nov. 18: Alston Middle

Nov. 19: Summerville Elementary

Nov. 20: Beech Hill Elementary

Nov. 23: Spann Elementary

Nov. 24: William Reeves Elementary

Nov. 30: Flowertown Elementary

Dec. 1: Knightsville Elementary

Dec. 2: Newington Elementary

Dec. 3: Fort Dorchester Elementary

Dec. 4: Oakbrook Elementary

Dec. 7: DuBose Middle

Dec. 8: River Oaks Middle

Dec. 9: Gregg Middle

Dec. 10: Oakbrook Middle

Dec. 11: Rollings Middle School of the Arts

Jan. 5: Givhans Alternative Program

Jan. 5: Ashley Ridge High School

Jan. 6: Summerville High School

Jan 7: Fort Dorchester High School


Contact Michael Tannebaum at 873-9424 ext. 215 or mtannebaum@journalscene.com