H1N1 vaccinations available this week

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By Alex Bridges -- abridges@nvdaily.com

Area school systems should start giving H1N1 influenza vaccinations to pupils and faculty this week, a local health official said Tuesday.

"We're getting trickles of the vaccine supply in periodically and we're still not sure exactly what regularity that will be, but we got enough to start getting into the schools so that we're going to get out to every school division this week," said Lord Fairfax Health District Director Stephen Haering. "What we're telling parents is to pay attention to the schools' normal communication channels."

The health district covers Winchester and the counties of Clarke, Frederick, Page, Shenandoah and Warren. The free, voluntary clinics are available only to students and school staff.

Frederick County Public Schools will hold clinics today at Indian Hollow and Gainesboro elementaries as well as at Senseny Road School, according to Steve Edwards, coordinator of policy, records management and communications for the system. The system's Web site advises that no other dates have been scheduled.

Winchester Public Schools Superintendent Rick Leonard confirmed a clinic will be held at John Kerr Elementary School today. Leonard said no other clinics have been scheduled yet due to a shortage of the vaccine, but parents and faculty will receive updates through the system's alert system or by letters sent home with children.

Information on clinics for Clarke, Shenandoah and Warren schools was not available Tuesday afternoon. Calls made to officials in those jurisdictions were not returned. The health district offices carry the nasal spray form of the vaccine.

This form requires a more in-depth screening process, Haering said.