It’s time to get ready for influenza season again. The single best way to protect against the flu is to get vaccinated each fall before the holidays. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends yearly flu vaccination for all children aged 6 months to 18 years. The School-Based Health Center (HealthZone) will be offering flu vaccine for all of our enrolled students.
This year we are offering both the injectable flu shot and the nasal spray vaccine (“Flumist”). Most children can have either vaccine. Children with asthma must have the shot.
We need current enrollment and a permission form for each child to be vaccinated. If you have not yet enrolled your child in the School Based Health Center program, or you have not yet filled out re-enrollment forms 2010, please stop by or call us at 432-2050 ext 1300.
There are some people who have a higher risk of complications of the flu. We strongly encourage these people to be vaccinated:
-Pregnant women
-People aged 50 and older
-People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions (this includes all of our children with asthma and diabetes)
-People who live in nursing homes or long term care facilities
Others who should be vaccinated include:
-Household contacts or caregivers of high risk individuals
-Household contacts or caregivers of infants less than 6 months of age who are too young to be vaccinated.
For more information about influenza and the flu vaccine go to http://www.cdc.gov/flu/ https://portal.bassett.org/,DanaInfo=.awxyCgiiGox5+flu> or click on the links below for more information on FluMist®.