Students begin getting H1N1 vaccines

TAMPA - The Hillsborough County Health Department began giving swine flu vaccinations to hundreds of students at the district's four exceptional education centers today.

Approximately 50 students at Caminiti Exceptional Center were among the first to receive the preservative-free shot, along with several teachers, bus drivers and parents.

The students were first in line for the shots because they have emotional or physical conditions, and are at a higher risk for getting swine flu and developing more severe symptoms, health officials said.

Each child had a signed consent form from one of their parents, and many parents came with their children.

"I think that they should talk to their pediatrician or their doctors and see what their doctors think," parent Lisa Knox said. "And if the doctor's OK with it, then I think they should be OK with it."

Students at Lavoy, Dover and Eisenhower exceptional centers also received the vaccination today.   The rest of the district will begin receiving the H1N1 vaccine on October 26.

District officials said schools scheduled for next week include Freedom, Newsome, Steinbrenner, and East Bay high schools, and Liberty, Randall, Martinez and Eisenhower middle schools.

Elementary students who have signed consent forms and are accompanied by a parent or guardian may receive flu vaccines on October 27 and 28 between 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the following high schools: Leto, Jefferson, and Armwood, and Bowers-Whitley Career Center.

The goal is to vaccinate all students before the spread of the swine flu gets too bad.

The health department gave nurses a briefing on the vaccination plan Monday.

"We have three different formulation of the vaccine. We have the flu mist, we have the preservative-free, and we have the one multi-dose, which has some preservative[s]," said Margaret Ewin with the Hillsborough County Health Department.

For more information: http://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/flu/

Pinellas and Polk county schools are scheduled to begin vaccinating around November 2. Consent forms are expected to be sent home this week.