Livingston County Public Health Nurse Colleen Schiedel administers a vaccine to Cal-Mum student Martin Callan at the school’s Dec. 1 clinic. Photo by Sally Santora.

CALEDONIA, NY— The Livingston County Health Department held clinics in every public and private school in the county, vaccinating children against season and H1N1 flu.

According to Livingston County Public Health Director Joan Ellison the clinics have been very successful.

As of this week, with two more school clinics to go, 2,155 children received the H1N1 vaccine. As of Nov. 30, nearly 1,500 children received the season flu vaccine at their school’s clinic.

“The school personnel, parent-teacher organizations and school staff have been awesome and the students are a delight. We have been very pleased with the response from the parents who have agreed to have their children immunized. The vaccine for both season and H1N1 is the best defense to preventing the disease,” said Ellison.

At Caledonia-Mumford Central School, similar to other county schools, about 45 percent of the student body took advantage of the clinic and received either the H1N1 and/or the season flu vaccine. School nurses say the health department nurses and staff worked well with students and staff so that the clinic ran very smooth.

“It didn’t surprise me that the clinic went as well as it did because discussions had been ongoing between Joan Ellison and school superintendents. That collaboration and preparation that took place is a credit to Mrs. Ellison and the health department staff,” said David V. Dinolfo, Cal-Mum superintendent of schools.

There have been several laboratory confirmed cases of H1N1; however, the majority of cases have been clinically diagnosed by a physician. Because it is too early for seasonal flu, it is presumed that those patients who experience flu-like symptoms most likely have H1N1, Ellison said.

According to the health department, the highest number of illnesses occurred Nov. 2–6. Health department officials monitored and communicated the situation with its partnering agencies.

School nurses are monitoring and reporting student illnesses to the health department. Meg Geer, middle and high school nurse at Cal-Mum, says she is seeing much lower numbers of sick students in recent weeks.

“Our student absentee rate is probably below what it was in past years at this same time,” Dinolfo said, adding that staff attendance is also good for this time of year.

Ellison says the vaccine serves as an excellent protector against the seasonal and H1N1 flu. She stresses, however, that not everyone has received the vaccine.

The health department is holding several public clinics for both vaccines however only the priority groups are eligible for the H1N1 vaccine.

Ellison expects that the New York State Health Department will soon lift the restriction to vaccinate only target priority groups for H1N1 and begin administering it to the general public. At that time the LCHD will hold more clinics.

In the meantime, county health officials say the best defense against the spread of both flu illnesses is still good hand washing and respiratory etiquette. They also recommend staying home from work or school if you are not feeling well.

Complete information about H1N1, seasonal flu and upcoming vaccination clinics is available on the Livingston County Health Department webpage.

Tagged as: flu, H1N1, vaccine