WAVE 3 TV Louisville, KY | Only healthy Bullitt County students to get H1N1 vaccine

Only healthy Bullitt County students to get H1N1 vaccine

By Elizabeth Donatelli - bio | email

SHEPHERDSVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Students in Bullitt County will have the chance to get the H1H1 vaccine if they haven't already. Three clinics are designed for students, but not for those who fall into the high risk category. The Health Department will not turn anyone away, but the Director is requesting that only healthy children between the ages of 5-19 attend.

Nurses with the Health Department will only be administering the nasal spray, which is why they are only asking healthy children to attend and not pregnant women or anyone with a medical problems, since the nasal spray contains the live virus.

Children under 10 will need two doses, with the second dose to be administered at least 28 days after the first. Parents must accompany kids under 18.

Health officials expect long lines like the ones at last week's clinic that stretched down the sidewalk and into the parking lot. The Health Department has 2,000 doses available and hopes to administer 1,500 at the first of three school clinics.

"We'll send notes home with every student, but of course some of those won't qualify for this type of vaccination, but we just don't know what the turnout will be," said Lesa Bodine, the Health Coordinator with the Bullitt County Public Schools.  "We will be prepared to handle what does come our way."

All of the clinics will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., and the first clinic will be on November 17 Bullitt Central High School; the second will be on December 1 at North Bullitt High School; the final one is scheduled for December 8th at Bullitt East High School - if there is enough vaccine left.  The Health Department will be receiving more at some point in the future.

As for teachers - Health Department Director Swannie Jett says they have not decided if they will be encouraged to get the vaccine at one of these clinics. 

The vaccine isn't available for the general pubic yet, but Health Department officials planned to host another clinic sometime after December 8.

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