Mobile Co. Schools Give H1N1 Vaccines

Alabama Mobile Alabama and Florida trails Mississippi in response to the H1N1 immunization clinics.

by Jessica Taloney

Published: Tue, December 01, 2009 - 4:40 pm CST Last Updated: Tue, December 01, 2009 - 5:49 pm CST

MOBILE, Alabama -

Alabama's largest school district has started giving students the H1N1 flu vaccine.

Mobile County began administering the flu mist in four schools Tuesday morning. Students at the Regional School For The Deaf And Blind, Augusta Evans, Just Four Developmental Laboratory and Dauphin Island Elementary were among the first to receive the vaccine.

Participation in the free immunization clinics has been much lower than state officials expected. Mobile County has 4,000 doses of the nasal mist vaccine on hand to give to students this week, but during the first day of clinics only sixty doses were administered.

"You hear more of the cons than the pros," says Erika Simon, who believes many parents are leary of the nasal mist vaccine. Simon signed up her son despite other parents' concerns. "When he was ten months old he had a bout with meningitis, and from that point on I've been getting him flu vaccines just to make sure."

In Alabama, only two out of every ten parents are signing their kids up for the nasal mist immunization. That is a lower response than schools in Mississippi, which offers the H1N1 flu shot. Fourty-percent of students in Missisippi are participating.

Mobile County is planning vaccination clinics in each of their schools, though they have not yet released a list of dates. School officials were forced to delay some of the scheduled clinics because there was a language barrier with the consent forms. Immunization information in different languages is expected to be available by December 6.

Baldwin County, Clarke County, Washington County and Saraland schools will begin their clinics Thursday.

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mustuknow Says:

Wed, Dec 02, 2009 at 12:36 pm

Well I for one have no problem with my tax dollars going for the prevention of illness or disease. I carry BCBS on my sons and every year I end up paying for their flu shot and when my youngest has to get his pneumonia shot, I have to pay for that also. The way I look at it we can spend tax dollars on ANYTHING and EVERYTHING from birth control to prescription pain meds which most DO NOT NEED, they just abuse or sell on the street.

Back on the subject. I have heard to stay away from the nasal spray H1N1 vaccine, that the side effects were far worse than the benefits. We got the shot and I am glad it is over, now lets just hope that is it!!!!

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mandimoo Says:

Wed, Dec 02, 2009 at 8:20 am

I just can’t understand why these immunization clinics are offering free vaccines to so many people. Most people can afford the vaccine or have insurance to help with the cost. Why is the H1N1 being distributed for free without any qualifying reasons for not paying, not just in Alabama, but throughout the whole US? It’s just another example of a nanny state bleeding money for no apparent reason and no explanation.

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