Sarasota County sets H1N1 vaccine clinics for elementary school children

David Gulliver - posted 4:45 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30

Sarasota County will be offering H1N1 flu vaccinations for elementary school students starting next weekend.

The vaccinations clinics will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6 and Saturday, Nov. 7., and again the next weekend at the same times, at sites across the county (see list below).

In a briefing Friday, county Health Department officials said they had about 4,900 doses of the vaccine on hand now, and anticipated receiving enough next week to have the 12,000 doses they expect to need.

The supply will be about evenly divided between the inhalable Flu Mist and the injectable version. The version of the vaccine that is free of the preservative thimerosal probably will not be available, Henry said.

The clinics are for elementary school and pre-K children only. Families should bring the consent forms that were sent hom this week. Officials said vaccinations of middle school and high school students will begin soon but did not project a date.

There are about 22,000 elementary school students in Sarasota County, but projections indicate only about half will request the vaccine, said Chuck Henry, the county’s flu response coordinator.

Children ages 9 and younger will need a second dose after three weeks to have a sufficient immune response, physicians say. The county expects to receive enough vaccine for that second round. But its plan is to provide one dose to everyone in the high-priority groups (children, pregnant women and health care workers) before giving second doses, so it may take longer to get the second dose, Henry said.

The vaccine is voluntary and not required for school attendance, officials said. A parent or legal guardian must accompany the child to the clinics, which also are open to students who attend private schools or are home-schooled.

Officials plan to reserve supplies of vaccine to provide throughout both weekend days, so anxious parents do not have to plan to arrive early on Friday, Henry said. Schools will use police officers to direct traffic and parking, he said.

The health department and other health care providers will offer drive-through and walk-in vaccine clinics open to all once enough vaccine has arrived in the county, probably sometime after Thanksgiving.

Vaccination clinic schedule 
3 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6 and 13
For elementary and Pre-K students at the following locations:
 
Emma E. Booker Elementary School
2350 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Way, Sarasota 
 
Tuttle Elementary School 
2863 8th Street, Sarasota 
 
Ashton Elementary School 
5110 Ashton Road, Sarasota 
 
Garden Elementary School
700 Center Road, Venice 
 
Laurel Nokomis School
1900 East Laurel Road, Nokomis 
 
Cranberry Elementary School
2775 Shalimar Terrace, North Port 
 
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7 and 14
For elementary and Pre-K students at the following locations:
 
Cranberry Elementary School
2775 Shalimar Terrace, North Port 
 
Laurel Nokomis School
1900 East Laurel Road, Nokomis 
 
Children’s Health Center
Glasser Schoenbaum Human Services Center
1750 17th St., Bldg. E, Sarasota
 
Sarasota County Health and Human Services
2200 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota