Local schools provide clinics to vaccinate against H1N1

By Shawn Cetrone - scetrone@heraldonline.com

Rock Hill elementary schools will begin vaccinating students against H1N1, more commonly known as swine flu, next week.

Nurses from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control will be on campus to administer the shots during the school day, Associate Superintendent Luanne Kokolis said. Parents received consent letters, which were due back Friday. No child will get the vaccine without a parent's permission, according to the form. Also, if a child who has a parent's permission refuses the shot, it won't be given.

DHEC has partnered with schools across the state to vaccinate children, whom health experts consider most vulnerable to the H1N1 virus. In Rock Hill, they're starting with the district's 17 elementary schools.

With nearly 18,000 students, Rock Hill's school district is by far the largest of York County's four school systems. Kokolis said they opted to offer shots during the school day so everyone had a chance to get one.

“Some students don't have transportation to school after hours,” she said. “We wanted to make sure we didn't miss any segment of the population.”

Middle and high school students will be offered shots in January.

Clover students began receiving vaccines this week. All of the district's students, including those in middle and high school, have been offered the vaccine.

The York school district has already finished its clinics. More than 1,000 students from all grades signed up and came after school with a guardian to receive the shot.

“It was really successful,” Superintendent Vernon Prosser said. “We got on it pretty early because I knew that the vaccine was in short supply.”

Fort Mill students have received parent consent forms, but have yet to schedule clinics.

“We have not learned when the vaccine will be available to us or when DHEC will want to operate a clinic,” Fort Mill schools spokesman Bob Ormseth wrote in an e-mail to The Herald.

Clinic dates

Rock Hill schools

Thursday: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Old Pointe Elementary; noon to 5 p.m. Oakdale Elementary

Friday: Noon to 5 p.m. Central Childhood Development Center

Nov. 23: Noon to 5 p.m. Northside and Rosewood elementaries

Nov. 24: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Ebinport Elementary and Children's School at Sylvia Circle

Nov. 30: Noon to 5 p.m. India Hook and York Road elementaries

Dec. 1: Noon to 5 p.m. Belleview and Richmond Drive elementaries

Dec. 3: Noon to 5 p.m. Ebenezer Avenue and Mount Holly elementaries

Dec. 4: Noon to 5 p.m. Mount Gallant and Sunset Park elementaries

Dec. 10: Noon to 5 p.m. Finley Road and Lesslie elementaries

Dec. 11: Noon to 5 p.m. Independence Elementary