H1N1 Flu Information
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) partners with the Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) to monitor the progression of the 2009 H1N1 Influenza (swine flu). The FCHD follows the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and provides recommendations to the school system. It is our goal to promote good health for students in our school system and to manage communicable diseases.
FCPS Daily Absentee Rate for 11/5/09 - 4.3 percent. The average daily absentee rate for FCPS is 4.03 percent.
H1N1 Vaccine
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a flu vaccine as the single best way to protect against influenza illness. The Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) has developed a mass vaccination plan that matches the limited supply of vaccine currently available, which is significantly less than anticipated. The FCHD is committed to vaccinating target populations, including school-aged children, as quickly as vaccine becomes available. Depending on the quantities of vaccine available each week, vaccine will be distributed through the Health Department’s district offices or mass vaccination clinics. Also, the 2009 H1N1 vaccine is starting to become available through many of the same health care providers, pharmacies and community programs that provide the seasonal influenza vaccine. Individuals and families should check with their providers about availability.
The Health Department will hold a mass H1N1 flu vaccination clinic on Saturday, November 7 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Fairfax County Government Center, located at 12000 Government Center Parkway in Fairfax. The vaccine is voluntary and will be offered on a walk-in basis, free of charge. Seasonal flu vaccine will not be available at these clinics. Due to limited quantities of flu shot vaccine—compared with the nasal spray vaccine—the Health Departmetn will reserve the flu shot vaccine for high risk individuals for whom the nasal spray vaccine is not an option. Therefore, individuals who are eligible for nasal spray vaccine should expect to be offered only nasal spray vaccine.
Who Can Get Vaccinated at the November 7 Clinic?
The Health Department has the capacity to vaccinate a maximum of 12,000 people on November 7. Based on the quantity of vaccine available, and in an effort to vaccinate school-aged children and those at high risk of influenza-related complications, the clinic will target only the following groups:
-Children 4 years through 9 years of age
-Children 10 years through 18 years of age who have certain medical conditions that put them at higher risk for influenza-related complications.Read more: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/highrisk.htm
Updated information, about the availability and distribution of 2009 H1N1 vaccine, including consent form and vaccination information statements, is on the county’s web site at:http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/flu
For more information, call the Fairfax County Health Department at 703-267-3511.
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