Schools throughout northern Hudson County are making efforts to prepare for the swine flu. Last week, the North Hudson Community Action Corporation, a local non-profit that provides health care to low-income people, visited the Maria De Hostos Early Childhood Center in Union City to give children the H1N1 vaccine.
Nurses from the NHCAC health center, whose administrative offices are in West New York, set up workstations in one of the school’s front rooms. Children were brought in from their class in groups of approximately eight at a time and forms were verified to make sure the child had received approval from parents.
The NHCAC is planning to distribute the vaccine in injection form only and not via a nasal spray.
________
“While right now there is not a widespread outbreak of H1N1 at the state level, this is a way to prevent any outbreaks,” said CEO of NHCAC Chris Irizarry.
Starting with the youngest
Children will be the first to receive the vaccine. That is because the recommended dosage for children ages 6 months to 9 years is two vaccines given a month apart.
The NHCAC is planning to distribute the vaccine in injection form only and not via a nasal spray. The reason for it, according to Anny Tabares, public health coordinator, is because they feel the injection is safer and that the spray requires a review of the patient’s full health record.
“We decided not to give the nasal spray because there are some contraindications…like asthma,” said Tabares “The injection contains a dead virus and it’s safer.”
Parents of younger children who do not yet attend school are encouraged to bring their child to one of the local health centers in the North Hudson area to be given free swine flu immunization.
Officials said that in time, they expect to provide the vaccine to adults as well as children.
“We’re looking to provide about 36,000 vaccines throughout the six municipalities that we serve,” said Anny Tabares, public health coordinator. “And that’s just through the school system.”
Tabares then added that they will hope to approach other age groups by going to libraries.
Lessons from the past
Irizarry said that the reason for the initiative was to prevent a situation like the one that occurred last year in which some of the schools in the North Hudson area needed to be closed because some children contracted the swine flu.
But this year, some parents are not sure the vaccine is safe.
“We sent [a letter] home in English and Spanish for parents to make their own informed decision,” said Irizarry of the information given to parents along with the permission slip to sign. Irizarry added that he had chosen to vaccinate his own children after reading the information.
For more information, contact the NHCAC at (201) 210-0100.
Melissa Rappaport may be reached at mrappaport@hudsonreporter.com