Local News
Schools hosting H1N1 clinics
Vaccines to be offered to residents in target groups
Four local school districts will be hosting H1N1 immunization clinics for residents who fall into certain risk groups.
To help fight the spread of H1N1 flu, also known as swine flu, the Niagara County Health Department has been giving out vaccines at schools. The idea is to first vaccinate schoolchildren, a majority of a group at risk of contracting H1N1 — which is those 6 months to 24 years of age. Using a school as a Point of Dispensing, or POD, is the quickest way to get the H1N1 vaccine to the group, the department has said.
Other at-risk groups include pregnant women, healthcare workers, those with long-term health problems and those who live with or care for children under 6 months old.
The first clinic will be held Saturday in the Newfane School District, followed by one in Barker on Dec. 15. Similar clinics will be held during the first week of January in Royalton-Hartland and Jan. 29 and 30 at Lockport High School. All clinics are free, but are only for residents in their respective districts, for those who are in the risk groups, as well as those who live in the same household.
“We’re hoping residents take advantage of this,” Barker Superintendent Roger Klatt said.
Residents in Newfane have until Tuesday to register for the clinic. Vaccinations will be given out from 2 to 8 p.m. in the gym of Newfane Elementary School, 2909 Transit Road, Newfane. The regular flu vaccine will be available for all district residents Saturday, but pre-registration is needed.
Folks in Barker have until 4 p.m. Tuesday to register for the Dec. 15 clinic, which will run from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Residents must call the district between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. at 795-3237 to make an appointment. Doing so will help the county health department figure out how many vaccines are needed, Klatt said.
“It gives them an idea of how many doses are required and make sure they have enough,” he said.
Lockport’s H1N1 clinic will be hosted on two days to accommodate the high school, Lockport Opportunity Projects, two middle schools and seven elementary schools within the district. Superintendent Terry Ann Carbone said information about the clinic and registration would be sent out to parents in the near future.
“We want to get our children inoculated,” Carbone said.
The Starpoint School District held an H1N1 flu clinic on Nov. 21, in which more than 1,000 vaccines were given to district residents.
Contact reporter Joe Olenickat 439-9222, ext. 6241.
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