Small Town News

County, schools to give flu shots to kids

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Grant County Health is working closely with the Grand Coulee Dam School District to provide vaccine for free H1N1 "swine" flu shots for all school children as soon as the vaccine becomes available.

Health district official Peggy Griggs said that nurses from her office and volunteers would be available to give the shots.

Health officials said last week they expect the vaccine will be available by mid to late October, or by early November.

Planners got some good news late last week when they learned that adults may be able to get by with a single shot, rather than the double shot earlier planned. This should make it easier to provide vaccine for more or expanded target groups.

Meanwhile incidents of flu-type sickness are occurring in the local schools, although not yet in large numbers.

Youngsters with fevers of 100 degrees or higher are being sent home. Griggs said schools are asked to report to her office when they experience absences of 10 percent or more of the students.

In a worst-case scenario, it may become necessary to take student temperatures when they arrive for school.

If an epidemic occurs where large numbers of students show influenza symptoms, schools could be closed for a week, Griggs suggested.

So far, Nespelem School has reported a single case of the H1N1 virus, as has the Grand Coulee Dam Middle School.

Many others have had flu symptoms but their illnesses haven't been diagnosed as swine flu.

Immunizing all school children will make a huge difference in the number of people who carry and spread flu-type germs.

Melissa Stanley, a nurse at Coulee Medical Center, said that she didn't know when the vaccine would be available at the clinic or what the cost would be. The vaccine is being furnished free but it is likely that many clinics will charge an administrative fee.

Health officials estimate that 30,000 to 90,000 additional people will die this year from swine flu (H1N1). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that, on average, 36,000 people in the United States die each year from normal seasonal flu.

Health officials stated as of last week there had been 17 deaths attributed to the new H1N1 virus in Washington state.



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© 2009 The Star Grand Coulee, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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