December 2, 2009

Dear District 39 Families,

The Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) has tentatively scheduled December 17^th as the date for District 39 students to receive the H1N1 vaccination. The vaccinations will be offered in each of our six buildings. The CCDPH reserves the right to alter the date based on vaccination supplies.

The links below take you to material from the CCDPH that contains important information about the vaccine and includes the consent form that MUST be completed for each child that will receive the vaccine. If you do not wish for your child to participate, there is a separate non-participation form linked below that states this intent.

It is essential that you carefully review the material and return one form per child to your child’s school no later than Wednesday, December 9. It is important that we receive a consent form or a non-participation form for each District 39 student, indicating the decision regarding that child’s participation in the vaccination program. This information is critical for our planning and organization; you must return the form to your child’s classroom/homeroom teacher by Wednesday, December 9.

H1N1 Vaccine Forms Links– COMPLETE ONE OF THESE FORMS FOR EACH CHILD
CCDPH H1N1 VACCINE CONSENT FORM
DISTRICT 39 H1N1 VACCINE NON-PARTICIPATION FORM

H1N1 Vaccine Information Links
CCDPH H1N1 Vaccine Intro letter
CCDPH H1N1 Vaccine – What you need to know – flu shot
CCDPH H1N1 Vaccine – What you need to know – nasal spray
CCDPH Privacy Practices

We are currently working on the details and a specific schedule for each school for the vaccination day. We will provide updates as the date gets closer. Below is some important information you should know.

• The CCDPH has asked us to stress that this is not a community clinic. Non-District 39 siblings, parents, and community members may not participate in the program. The vaccines will only be administered to District 39 students with a signed consent form and to school staff members in high-risk categories.
• There are two forms of vaccines that may be administered, either a nasal spray or a traditional injection. The CCDPH professionals will make the decision regarding the form of vaccine to administer based on each child's health history (as provided by parents on the consent form). Parents may not request a preferred form of vaccine for their children to receive. If this strict CCDPH policy is of concern to you, we encourage you to refrain from having your children participate in the vaccination program.
• In general, a healthy child under the age of 10, without medical concerns, will probably receive the nasal spray vaccine. This is not guaranteed, but does seem to be the way the school vaccination program has operated in other districts thus far.
• For children under the age of 9, a second dose of the vaccine, administered at least 28 days from the first, is still recommended. The CCDPH school vaccination program will only provide one dose of the vaccine. Parents would need to arrange for a second dose from an outside provider or clinic. A flyer listing other locations where you may obtain the second dose of H1N1 vaccine will be posted on the CCDPH website at www.cookcountypublichealth.org.
• The vaccines may or may not contain Thimerosol, which is a preservative that contains very trace amounts of mercury. Some manufacturers use it while others do not. In general, most of the nasal vaccines do not contain Thimerosol and most of the regular vial shots do. The CCDPH does not separate out the vaccines, and parents may not request the use of a Thimerosol-free vaccine. It should be noted that the amount of mercury is reportedly minute, and is well below the safety standards established by the government. However, if this issue is in any way troublesome for you, we encourage you to refrain from having your children participate in the voluntary program.
• Since healthy children under the age of 10 are more likely to receive the nasal vaccine, we are optimistic that we will have fewer children upset by the vaccination experience. We will have staff members and nurses on site to comfort any children who are frightened. We are confident that we will move all the children through the experience with minimal concern. Parents do not need to attend, and probably should not accompany their child unless they feel extra support is really needed. However, if you are the parent of a younger child and would like to join him/her during the vaccination, you are certainly welcome to be there.
• Each school will create a schedule to cycle the children through the vaccination clinic. We are told that the CCDPH moves children through the process very quickly and efficiently and that often the time schedules are thrown off. When we share the schedule, please know that it will basically show the order that classes will come down to the clinic, but the times will probably not be accurate. If you want to be with your child for the vaccine, you should be prepared to give yourself a large time frame to be at school. We will try to schedule younger students early, so parents may more easily block out the morning if they wish to attend.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please contact your school nurse or building principal. You can also contact our Health Services Department Chair, Pam Strunk, at 847-512-6502 or strunkp@wilmette39.org. Please know that the CCDPH is conducting this program, and our schools are merely the locations for their clinics. The CCDPH governs these clinics, and we are required to adhere to its standards. We will do our best to make this a successful experience. Thank you for your support.

Your partner in education,

Raymond E. Lechner, Ph.D.
Superintendent