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Students in Florida get H1N1 vaccine
Updated: Thursday, 22 Oct 2009, 6:32 PM CDT
Published : Thursday, 22 Oct 2009, 6:06 PM CDT
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. - The first school in the area received the H1N1 vaccine Thursday. Students from two Escambia County, Florida elementary schools received the vaccination.
The rest of the schools hope to get it, but it depends on what's available.
For a kid, it's got to be better than the old fashioned flu shot, but you can tell students aren't thrilled about getting the H1N1 nasal vaccine either. You could see their faces scrunch up as nurses administered it.
The principal of Weis Elementary, Connie Farish says they've been waiting for it to get here.
"It would be a relief knowing we're protecting the kids and they don't come to school sick and infect other kids, and we have an outbreak of it. Glad the vaccine is made available for the families," Farish said.
Weis Elementary was the first school to receive it. Around 150 students out of 500 signed up for it.
"This is the first school, this is voluntary. I can tell you my daughter-in-law called me and said, 'Should I get this for my children?' I said, 'Yes, you should,'" sais school district heatlh director Karen Thoennis.
Right now, there aren't that many vaccines, so only a few schools are scheduled to receive it but they're hoping all schools in the district will get it by the end of the season.
"We never know much will come in, that's why its day to day and we can't schedule each school far out," Thoennis added.
The school district says it's been fortunate because there hasn't been a huge flu outbreak. Officials are still hoping they'll get more vaccine in soon so they can be ready, just in case.
Students at West Pensacola Elementary also got the vaccine Thursday. Parents at other schools should be looking for consent forms in the mail. They'll need to fill them out if they want their children to get the vaccine.
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