After a week off of school due to a large number of ill students, Northern Michigan's largest school district begins Swine Flu vaccinations
By Melissa Smith
Tuesday, November 03, 2009 at 6:58 p.m.
Read more: Local, Education, Health
It's been almost two weeks since several northern Michigan schools have been closed because of the flu. Now that students are returning to school, an area health department is starting student vaccination clinics.
The library at Traverse City West Middle School was turned into a medical clinic Monday morning. The Grand Traverse County Health Department set up shop here for its first school vaccination program
"The students have to have a slip signed by their parents to receive the vaccine," says health department director, Fred Keeslar.
Angela Core's sixth grade son was one of the first to get the vaccine.
"Our doctor's office hasn't even received the vaccine. They're hoping maybe next week but they're not really sure so with these clinics it really helps us out to be able to come in and do that and make sure the kids are safe as well," says Core.
The health department has set up a schedule to visit a number of county schools between now and Thanksgiving.
"We're looking at Traverse City schools, Kingsley, we have to reschedule the Catholic and Christian academies because we didn't have the vaccine last weekend because schools were closed. So, all of the public schools are scheduled," says Keeslar.
While the students at Traverse City West Middle School are one of the first to receive the H1N1 vaccine, One parent is upset her student's school is the very last to hold the clinics.
That school is Silver Lake Elementary in Traverse City. The health department isn't hold a clinic there until November 20th
"I think the smaller children I would have hoped to be vaccinated before the older children. Also, there's several other dates that are not filled with schools at this point and I hoped my son's school would be moved up," says parent of a Silver Lake Elementary student, Angela Campbell.
The health department says it tried to schedule the clinics as logically as they could.
"Also, what was available for the schools and what the school schedule was. No matter how we did it, someone is going to be first and someone is going to be last," says Keeslar.
For a complete list of the schools that will have the vaccination clinics you can check out the Grand Traverse County Health Department's website:Swine Flu Vaccine Clinics
