Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
MONTGOMERY: Schools hold swine flu shot rehearsal
Thursday, September 17, 2009 6:44 PM EDT
By Kristine Snodgrass, Staff Writer
MONTGOMERY ? Decades have passed since public schools have been the site of mass inoculations.
But with the emergence of the H1N1 (swine flu) virus, expected to strike half of the population, the scene of students lined up for the vaccination shots in gymnasiums and cafeterias is expected to be a reality again.
This week, the Montgomery Township School District prepared for such a situation, thanks to a grant that funded a mock inoculation in all five of its schools this week. No medical procedures were performed; it was simply to practice the logistics of inoculating large numbers of students against the disease.
?We know H1N1 disproportionately hits school-aged kids, and we know we need to get millions of doses into arms statewide in order to protect kids,? township health officer Stephanie Carey said, explaining the purpose of the drill.
The experience will serve as an example for health departments statewide, based on a report being prepared by Ms. Carey, who organized the event, and the township Health Department.
Though the vaccine is expected to become available within a month, there still are a lot of unanswered questions about what form it will take and how it will be administered, she said.
With so much time elapsed, the idea of using a school as a mass inoculation site has become an ?alien concept? to parents and health-care providers, she said. In particular, the drill gave the district?s nurses an important opportunity to see how the system would work, she said.
Tuesday morning, Orchard Hill Elementary nurse Pamela Schrum was in the school?s West Gym, juggling paperwork and rambunctious first-graders ? they seemed to know there was no real shot involved in a mock inoculation.
She called the children up individually, read over their parental consent forms and sent them away with a magnet and praise for being a ?good germ fighter.?
The children were sent to different areas, she explained, depending on whether they?d had a flu shot before. Those who had not were sent to an area with an EMS person, who would watch for signs of an anaphylactic reaction.
In all, about 600 students in the district were handed magnets for participating. Orchard Hill Elementary, Village Elementary School and the Lower Middle School were drilled Tuesday, and the Upper Middle School and High School went the next day.
The event was funded by a $20,000 grant from the New Jersey Health Officers Association in cooperation with the state Department of Health, which funded the cost of extra nurses, representatives from area health departments and sending consent forms to all district parents, Ms. Carey said.
She is working on preparing a report on the drill by the end of next week, which will distributed to health departments throughout the state and presented at the state Pandemic Flu Conference.
?It was a very educational experience,? she said Wednesday after the drills were completed.
Normally, seasonal flu vaccination clinics are held in senior centers and municipal complexes. But as people under 25 have been disproportionately affected by the disease, it is more desirable to choose a vaccination site that?s familiar and comfortable to them, she said.
As a result, township schools may become a site of evening and weekend inoculations for the general public, she said.
?We want schools for sites because we are targeting a different audience,? she said.
Children will be encouraged to get their flu shots through their private doctor, if possible, for their comfort and to ease logistical issues, she said. The clinics are intended to ?catch anybody who falls between the cracks,? she said.
If vaccines are offered to students during school hours, it will only be with parental consent, she said.
In order to stop the spread of the flu, it would be best to get as many people vaccinated as possible, she said. However, there are concerns parents will be more afraid of the vaccines than the disease, she said.
?Children have been so much healthier in the past 50 years that there?s not the fear of communicable diseases that there was 50 years ago,? she said.
Though those who contract swine flu typically have mild symptoms. It is important those who are the most vulnerable, such as those with underlying health conditions, are protected, Ms. Carey said.
http://www.centraljersey.com/articl...ton_packet/news/doc4ab2bb0953c8d797394787.txt
Thursday, September 17, 2009 6:44 PM EDT
By Kristine Snodgrass, Staff Writer
MONTGOMERY ? Decades have passed since public schools have been the site of mass inoculations.
But with the emergence of the H1N1 (swine flu) virus, expected to strike half of the population, the scene of students lined up for the vaccination shots in gymnasiums and cafeterias is expected to be a reality again.
This week, the Montgomery Township School District prepared for such a situation, thanks to a grant that funded a mock inoculation in all five of its schools this week. No medical procedures were performed; it was simply to practice the logistics of inoculating large numbers of students against the disease.
?We know H1N1 disproportionately hits school-aged kids, and we know we need to get millions of doses into arms statewide in order to protect kids,? township health officer Stephanie Carey said, explaining the purpose of the drill.
The experience will serve as an example for health departments statewide, based on a report being prepared by Ms. Carey, who organized the event, and the township Health Department.
Though the vaccine is expected to become available within a month, there still are a lot of unanswered questions about what form it will take and how it will be administered, she said.
With so much time elapsed, the idea of using a school as a mass inoculation site has become an ?alien concept? to parents and health-care providers, she said. In particular, the drill gave the district?s nurses an important opportunity to see how the system would work, she said.
Tuesday morning, Orchard Hill Elementary nurse Pamela Schrum was in the school?s West Gym, juggling paperwork and rambunctious first-graders ? they seemed to know there was no real shot involved in a mock inoculation.
She called the children up individually, read over their parental consent forms and sent them away with a magnet and praise for being a ?good germ fighter.?
The children were sent to different areas, she explained, depending on whether they?d had a flu shot before. Those who had not were sent to an area with an EMS person, who would watch for signs of an anaphylactic reaction.
In all, about 600 students in the district were handed magnets for participating. Orchard Hill Elementary, Village Elementary School and the Lower Middle School were drilled Tuesday, and the Upper Middle School and High School went the next day.
The event was funded by a $20,000 grant from the New Jersey Health Officers Association in cooperation with the state Department of Health, which funded the cost of extra nurses, representatives from area health departments and sending consent forms to all district parents, Ms. Carey said.
She is working on preparing a report on the drill by the end of next week, which will distributed to health departments throughout the state and presented at the state Pandemic Flu Conference.
?It was a very educational experience,? she said Wednesday after the drills were completed.
Normally, seasonal flu vaccination clinics are held in senior centers and municipal complexes. But as people under 25 have been disproportionately affected by the disease, it is more desirable to choose a vaccination site that?s familiar and comfortable to them, she said.
As a result, township schools may become a site of evening and weekend inoculations for the general public, she said.
?We want schools for sites because we are targeting a different audience,? she said.
Children will be encouraged to get their flu shots through their private doctor, if possible, for their comfort and to ease logistical issues, she said. The clinics are intended to ?catch anybody who falls between the cracks,? she said.
If vaccines are offered to students during school hours, it will only be with parental consent, she said.
In order to stop the spread of the flu, it would be best to get as many people vaccinated as possible, she said. However, there are concerns parents will be more afraid of the vaccines than the disease, she said.
?Children have been so much healthier in the past 50 years that there?s not the fear of communicable diseases that there was 50 years ago,? she said.
Though those who contract swine flu typically have mild symptoms. It is important those who are the most vulnerable, such as those with underlying health conditions, are protected, Ms. Carey said.
http://www.centraljersey.com/articl...ton_packet/news/doc4ab2bb0953c8d797394787.txt