ST. CLOUD, Minn. -- When you are 7-years-old it's funny when people shoot things up your nose. But Tuesday's vaccination clinics in St. Cloud were not a joke. For the first time in decades kids are getting vaccinated at school.
"Those of us closer to my age remember universal vaccine in school but no, it's not routine anymore," District 742 spokeswoman Elisabeth Lodge Rogers said.
The risk of H1N1 is great for young children. The virus attacks them at a higher rate and is more aggressive.
That is why district 742 collaborated with the Stearns County Health Department to get nearly 200 children vaccinated today. The children were ages 5-9.
"This is where the kids are and they are high risk so it makes sense to come here," Dr. LuAnn Reif said Tuesday.
About 90 percent of the kids eligible got the vaccine after consent from their parents and the event went without a hitch.
This was round one for most of these children so they will have to get another nasal injection in a few weeks. The district does not know if it will be allotted that vaccine.
"There is some anticipation that we will get another allotment and if so we will talk about how to proceed with that," Rogers said.
For now, school officials are happy just to get this batch of kids at least one vaccine.
Minneapolis Schools will begin vaccinating some of their students on Wednesday. Vaccinations will be limited to students ages 9 and under who are currently enrolled in the school where the clinic is held, as well as students' brothers and sisters between the ages of 6 months and 9 years. Clinic officials will use a school roster to verify enrollment.
Hennepin and Ramsey Counties have announced they will hold H1N1 flu clinics this week for young children. Health officials in Ramsey County will be giving out the FluMist nasal vaccine free to uninsured children ages 2 to 9 years old.
The H1N1 Flu vaccinations in Hennepin County are free, but parents are asked to bring their insurance card so their insurance plan can be billed.
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