Story posted Thursday, October 29, 2009
Dist. 25 Near Top Of Flu Shot List
If things work out as planned, Arlington Hts. School Dist. 25 will receive H1N1 flu vaccines in about two weeks.
The district has experienced a small but significant spike in absences related to flu-like symptoms. Fortunately for the district, the Cook County Department of Public Health put the district near the top of its list of school districts scheduled to receive vaccine supplies.
"We are experiencing a 5% absence rate right now," said Betty Womack, director of student services for Dist. 25. "That is significantly higher than normal. Not only do we have this increase, but we also have an increase in the number of students with flu-like symptoms."
Dist. 25 is eighth on a list of nearly 100 Cook County school districts that are scheduled to receive the vaccines. All nine Dist. 25 schools will be distribution centers for the vaccine, which is given in either nasal spray or injection form.
Womack said she and district nurses and officials will meet with parents at South Middle School next Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. to discuss vaccination procedures and particularly the 25-question parental consent form that parents must sign before their children receive the vaccine.
Dist. 25 serves about 5,000 students in grades K-8 in central and southern Arlington Hts. and a small portion of Mt. Prospect.
Womack also said the district has been sending letters to parents describing symptoms of the H1N1 flu and encouraging parents to contact their family doctors for vaccine information or to schedule appointments to be vaccinated if they wish to do so.
Symptoms of H1N1 are a fever of 100 degrees or above, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue, and occasionally diarrhea and vomiting.
County and school officials say that, since seasonal flu is not generally seen this early in the year, it is assumed that persons with such flu-like symptoms have H1N1 flu.
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