This is an update on the school mass flu clinics occurring in collaboration with the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH). School clinics have provided seasonal influenza and H1N1 influenza vaccine for the state’s children, faculty and staff. For clarification purposes, information about the H1N1 vaccines, injectable as well as the nasal mist, is provided.
SCHOOL MASS FLU CLINICS
The latest numbers for the October school clinics are amazing. As of October 31, 2009, there were 413 school mass influenza clinics with 56,075 doses of seasonal flu vaccine and 41,247 doses of H1N1 flu vaccine given for a total of 97,322 doses of both vaccines. This is the result of a great collaboration between school districts and local health units.
H1N1 INFLUENZA VACCINES
There is a lot of information being circulated about the H1N1 vaccine, both injectable and the flu mist. There seems to be a great concern about pregnant faculty, staff and students being around those students who receive the flu mist, otherwise known as the live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV). According to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), pregnant women and newborns are at risk for influenza complications, and all women who are pregnant or will be pregnant during influenza season should be vaccinated. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Family Physicians also have recommended routine vaccination of all pregnant women. The LAIV is not licensed for use in pregnant women. However, PREGNANT WOMEN DO NOT NEED TO AVOID CONTACT WITH PERSONS RECENTLY VACCINATED WITH LAIV. An excellent resource for valid and reliable information is found at the Arkansas Department of Health website, http://www.healthyarkansas.com.
Reporting Influenza-Like Illness (ILI)
School districts are asked to use the following instructions for reporting school absenteeism from Influenza-Like Illnesses to the Arkansas Department of Health:
Log in information:
Website: https://health.arkansas.gov/ADHInternetApps/
Login = user@schools.com
Password = SchoolFlu0809
User name and password are case sensitive, it is recommended that the information be copied and pasted.
Please use the SCHOOL LEA NUMBER as the identifier NOT THE DISTRICT NUMBER. Enter the LEA # in this format ##-##-### with DASHES in between the numbers as shown. Example: if the school LEA is 1234567, please enter 12-34-567.
Report the data EACH school day. The school LEA number can only be used once per date.
If there are any questions please call Haytham Safi, MD, MPH, Senior Epidemiologist, Communicable Diseases/Immunizations, Arkansas Department of Health at 501-661-2920 or email: Haytham.safi@arkansas.gov
Current data is provided in the attachment.
All consent forms, vaccine information sheets, and many other information resources can be found at the Department of Health website, http://www.healthyarkansas.com and the Coordinated School Health website, http://www.arkansascsh.org