Important Health Alert!
September 29, 2009
Worried about H1N1 flu? Here's what you should do!
September 28, 2009
Dear Parents/ Guardians:
As you have been hearing, a new influenza virus, called the 2009 H1N1 Influenza virus, was first identified in the United States in late April 2009. The virus has caused illness ranging from mild to severe, including hospitalizations and deaths in young and middle-aged adults and children. Many children have gotten 2009 H1N1 infection and there have been large outbreaks in some schools across the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended that children and young adults aged 6 months through 24 years be vaccinated against 2009 H1N1 as soon as the vaccine is available. Other groups recommended to get the first available doses of the vaccine include:
- Pregnant Women
- People who live with or care for children younger that 6 months of age
- Health care and emergency services workers, and
-People ages 25 through 64 years who have certain health conditions such as HIV,
diabetes, or heart or lung disease.
Vaccination is the best way to protect your child from this potentially serious disease. North Central District Health Department is working with your child's school to give the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine to children at school. We are planning to hold vaccination clinics beginning this fall, and your child's school will let you know the specific dates once vaccine is on hand. School staff will continue to send you more information about the disease and the vaccine. They will also send home a form that will include options allowing you to either accept or refuse vaccination for your child. If you refuse, the vaccination will not be given to your child.
At this time, as currently recommended by the CDC, children between the ages of 6 months through 9 years of age will need two doses of the vaccine about 3 weeks apart. Children 10 years and older will only need one dose of the vaccine. If the children receives their vaccination at the school, there will be no cost to you for the vaccine.
If you have any questions about the vaccine or the vaccination clinics, please call Concey or Peggy toll-free at 1-877-336-2406 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. You can also visit http://www.ncdhd.ne.gov or http://www.flu.gov or the CDC's 2009 H1N1 influenza web site at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/. Your child's health care provider can also answer questions about the H1N1 virus and will have seasonal influenza vaccine available.
Sincerely,
Peggy Hart RN, Disease Surveillance Coordinator
Concey Ramold RN, Emergency Response Coordinator
