Free flu shots for K-8 students will be available
State officials urged parents to sign up their children to get free shots at school to help reduce the spread of flu.
More than 250 public schools and 75 private schools are participating in the flu vaccination program called "Protect Hawaii's Keiki: Stop Flu at School."
This is the first time that free flu vaccinations are being offered statewide in schools, health officials say.
Starting this week, packets will be sent to parents of students in kindergarten through eighth grade to inform them of the free flu shot.
Once schools receive signed consent forms by the Sept. 7 deadline, they will set aside about a half-day for students and staff members to receive the flu vaccine.
Health personnel and more than 600 volunteers from the Medical Reserve Corps will administer flu vaccinations from October through January.
The $2.5 million federally funded program is voluntary. Students and staff members will have two options to receive the flu vaccine: by the traditional shot or nasal spray. A pilot project held last year at three Mililani public schools generated interest from other schools in the state. More than 150,000 students and 20,000 staff members are participating in the program.
Radio and television advertisements are expected to be broadcast shortly to encourage parents to have their child participate in the program.
Advertisements will also be displayed in city buses.
The program is a joint effort of the Education and Health departments and the private sector.
It is estimated that half of all influenza transmissions occur in a classroom, said state epidemiologist Dr. Paul Effler. This program is a way to break the cycle, Effler said.
This past spring, four children in Hawaii ranging in age from newborn to 7 were hospitalized due to flu. One of the four children, an infant, died. The infant could have been indirectly protected if everyone around that child had been vaccinated, Effler said.
Studies show that flu-vaccinated children have fewer illnesses, fewer absences and lower rates of illness during the flu season compared with unvaccinated children.
Children are one of the primary sources of flu transmission in the community, health officials say. Older people often catch the flu from children. So immunizing children can prevent illness and death among the elderly population, they added.
"We see this as a real benefit and a plus to our children as well as keeping everybody healthy," said Department of Education Superintendent Pat Hamamoto yesterday at a news conference in the governor's office at the state Capitol.
State officials hope to make this program available to school-age students and staff members annually.
Protecting families from influenza
Some frequently asked questions about the school-based flu vaccinations:
Question: What do I have to do for my child to get the flu vaccine at school?
Answer: Just read the Vaccine Information Statements and complete, sign and return the consent form you receive from your child's school. Forms will be sent shortly.
Q: What if my child is absent when vaccinations are offered?
A: Call their regular health care provider or clinic if you still wish them to receive the flu vaccine.
Q: Should healthy schoolchildren be vaccinated?
A: Yes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children who live with an adult 50 and older, other children under 5 or a pregnant woman
be vaccinated to help protect these household members.
Q: Has any other state conducted large-scale flu vaccination programs among school-age children. If so, was it safe?
A: Yes. Last year, a district in Maryland vaccinated more than 114,000 students. No severe allergic reactions or other serious adverse events were reported.
Q: Why does my child need to get vaccinated against the flu every year to be protected?
A: Flu viruses change from year to year. The immunity that you develop from having had the flu in the past does not protect you from new strains that come along.
Source: State Department of Health
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