Nasal flu vaccine now available for Delaware-area schools

0

A large shipment of FluMist, a nasal spray vaccine, was received today by the Delaware General Health District.

As a result, health district officials said they are happy that the shipment should be enough to cover all of the participating school-based flu clinics.

In response to a national FluMist shortage, Delaware General Health District public health nurses had been working with suppliers in an attempt to receive more vaccine.

Any student (from preschool through high school) who had original parental permission to receive the nasal spray vaccine and has no medical contraindications to the mist will now be able to receive it, officials said.

Last week, all parents of students participating in Big Walnut, Buckeye Valley and Olentangy school flu clinics were notified that due to the nasal mist shortage only elementary students would receive the nasal spray while middle and high school students would receive the flu vaccine in shot form. Parents were asked to call the health district if they did not want their child (previously signed up for nasal spray) to get a flu vaccine at all.

Now with enough supply, the health district will be contacting those parents who removed their child from the flu clinic list to see if they wish to put them back on to receive the FluMist vaccine, they said.

If a parent/guardian still has questions regarding the nasal spray vs. the shot, they are asked to speak with a public health nurse at 740-203-2086.

For more details, visit DelawareHealth.org under “Featured Links.”

Staff Report

Information for this story was provided by the Delaware General Health District.

No posts to display