Vaccines expected for school children

MAT-SU — More H1N1 vaccines are coming into the Valley for the general population, and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District has announced three mass dispensing clinics aimed at inoculating much of the student body.

The district’s clinics will be held on Nov. 14, Nov. 21 and Dec. 12 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Colony High School.

“Those dates are solid,” district spokeswoman Catherine Esary said. “But it is contingent upon whether we have enough of the vaccine.”

Only students are eligible for the vaccine at the school clinics, she said. A parent or guardian must accompany every student and sign the permission slip. The school has vaccination records for the students, but parents should bring copies if there are any discrepancies or updates, Esary said.

Following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Esary said the district is recommending children under 9 receive two doses of the vaccine. The doses should be about a month apart, and the clinics were scheduled so children who get vaccinated at the first clinic can get their second dose at the last clinic.

“Vaccination is strictly voluntary. We are not encouraging or discouraging getting the vaccine,” Esary said.

For those not eligible for the district clinics, the Mat-Su Public Health Clinic is expecting more vaccines any day, said Nurse Manager Jane Conard. The state has instructed the clinic to serve all who come, lifting the priority group preference previously in place, she said.

However, who can get the vaccine will be determined by what type the clinic receives, Conard said. At this point she could not say what type will be coming in at what time.

“We will be recording a message every night about what we have. People should start calling to find out what vaccines are available and who can get it,” Conard said.

Mat-Su Public Health Clinic hotline is 352-6600.

Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.