By By Lisa Tindell
Students in Escambia County’s elementary schools and Brewton Elementary School will be safer against the H1N1 virus Thursday after the Escambia County Health Department administers the nasal-mist vaccine.
Escambia County Schools Superintendent Billy Hines said he is pleased to have the clinic at the schools.
The Alabama Department of Public Health will begin offering nasal mist flu vaccine to kindergarten through third grade students in schools at voluntary H1N1 influenza vaccination clinics this week.
Lynn Smith, superintendent for Brewton City Schools, said only about 50 students would be participating in the clinic Thursday morning at Brewton Elementary.
According to information released by the Alabama Department of Public Health, the nasal mist vaccine (live, attenuated intranasal vaccine) is sprayed into each nostril and is not an injection. This nasal mist vaccination is the first of two doses needed for children nine years and under. The second dose should be given about four weeks later to protect children from the novel H1N1 influenza virus.
Smith said he expects health officials to return to the schools for the follow-up clinic sometime in January.
Neither the school nor the student will be charged for the vaccines.