WEST NEWBURY — The Pentucket School District, in conjunction with the boards of health from Groveland, Merrimac and West Newbury, is planning to hold flu clinics at the schools for students later this month.
In a broadcast e-mail issued yesterday, Superintendent Paul Livingston notified parents about the plan to administer the H1N1 influenza vaccine.
"The vaccine clinics will begin in mid-November once an adequate supply of vaccine is on hand at the boards of health," Livingston wrote. "Since the vaccine is being distributed in various quantities and at different times, it is not possible to determine exact dates of when schools or specific grade levels will be done over the coming weeks.
"We will e-mail dates out from the school principal's office as we become aware of when the vaccine program will be done in your child's school. The school nurse at your child's school is available to answer any question you may have about the vaccine program."
In order to get their child vaccinated, parents must complete and sign a two-page form for each child in their family. The forms were e-mailed to parents of middle and high school students and will be sent home in hardcopy with elementary-aged students today. Permission forms can also be downloaded at http://www.prsd.org/HealthServices/H1N1LetterandPermission.pdf.
The vaccine is free, with children aged 9 and under requiring two doses of vaccine one month apart, and older children needing only one dose. Livingston said the younger children will most likely be the first to receive the vaccine.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the vaccination for children and young adults ages 6 months to 24 years. Other high-risk groups that should get vaccinated include pregnant women, people caring for children under 6 months, health care and emergency medical care workers, and people ages 25 to 64 with underlying chronic conditions such as asthma or other lung disease, HIV, diabetes or heart disease.
Livingston's memo thanked the local boards of health "for their tremendous efforts to help keep all of us healthy."
