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Scranton School District administering HINI vaccines on Nov. 14

By Laura Bonawits Times Leader Intern

The ScrantonSchool District will provide H1N1 vaccination to students on Saturday, Nov. 14, from 9 a.m. until the supply is exhausted. The vaccines will be administered in the high school cafeteria.

In addition to 2,000 doses the school district received, it also is scheduled to receive another 500 doses of the spray form, Superintendent Bill King said. The school district has a total enrollment of about 10,000, according to published reports.

King said the district is targeting elementary students, from pre-school to fifth grades, to receive the vaccines. Any students with medical conditions, such as asthma or lung problems, are also urged to get the vaccine, King said.

King said the school district plans to send information provided by the state Department of Health to students’ homes explaining the details of the HINI vaccine administration. To ensure more efficiency, he said parents are asked to complete paperwork prior to receiving the vaccine on Nov. 14.

King said the nasal spray will be used for elementary students, as advised by the Department of Health.

There have been no confirmed cases of H1N1 in the ScrantonSchool District as of the beginning of the school year, King said.
For more information about the vaccine, visit www.health.state.pa.us or cdc.gov or call (877) PA-HEALTH.