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HOME>News>H1N1 flu vaccinations set for Dec. 2 at Maine South
H1N1 flu vaccinations set for Dec. 2 at Maine South
12/3/2009
The Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) plans to offer H1N1 flu vaccine on Wednesday, Dec. 2, to any Maine South High School students who want the vaccine. If the CCDPH informs us of any change of date, we will post that information here immediately.
Parents and students should be aware that:
- Vaccination is strictly voluntary and is offered at no cost to students.
- Any parent who does want his or her child to be vaccinated must complete and return a consent form that Maine South will distribute to students at school on Monday, Nov. 30 and that also is available here online. County Public Health officials emphasize that parents must answer every question on the consent form for their child to be eligible for vaccination.
- If you would like to read, print out and complete the consent form now, click here to find that form, along with an information letter from Maine South Principal David Claypool, the CCDPH's letter to parents, vaccine information sheets and notice of privacy practices. The CCDPH letter, forms and information sheets are available in several other languages at http://www.cookcountypublichealth.org/flu_school_vaccine
- Please note that while the CCDPH letter asks students to return completed consent forms before vaccination day, Maine South requests and requires that students bring completed consent forms with them the day of vaccination.
- When the Cook County Department of Public Health administers the vaccine at Maine South, the only people eligible to receive vaccine at that time and location will be Maine South students and some staff members deemed a priority by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. During its school visits, the Department of Public Health will not make the H1N1 vaccine available to other community members.
- The Cook County Department of Public Health has asked school districts to solicit volunteers -- trained medical professionals -- to work as vaccinators for the school-based vaccinations and to undergo online training in preparation. Details may be found at: http://www.cookcountypublichealth.org/vaccinator_training.
We apologize for the short notice of this vaccination effort, which represents a recent change in strategy by the Cook County Department of Public Health. After earlier planning to offer vaccinations first to all Cook County suburban students from K-8th grades and then to offer the vaccine to high school students, the CCDPH recently decided to offer H1N1 vaccinations to high school students at the same time it makes the vaccine available to students in grades K through 8. If you have questions, please e-mail them to dbeery@maine207.org.
We will update this Web site as we receive any new or different information.
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