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This message was sent out earlier this week to all parents of students in Fairfax County Public Schools.  I thought it important to reprint it here.

A message from FCPS

Message sent – 10/13/2009

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As promised, we are continuing to keep you informed about H1N1 flu prevention preparations. 

The Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) received a small shipment of H1N1 vaccine on October 6.  This initial allotment is intended for health care workers and emergency medical services personnel.  In the weeks to come, local healthcare providers who have registered to be vaccine distributors with the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and FCHD will receive additional vaccine.  FCHD hopes to first vaccinate individuals who are in the H1N1 vaccine priority groups.   Fairfax County will continue to receive vaccine over the next several weeks and months. Eventually the vaccine will be made available to anyone who chooses to get vaccinated.

 Vaccination against the H1N1 virus is one of the best prevention tools against this new virus.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has defined target populations to receive vaccine first.  Persons age 6 months to 24 years are in this high risk group.  In an effort to immunize as many of this target group as quickly as possible, the FCHD is working with Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) on a plan to disseminate H1N1 flu vaccines at weekend clinics that will be held in FCPS school buildings.  The clinics will be managed by the FCHD.  The H1N1 vaccinations will be offered free of charge on a walk-in basis. At this time, the FCHD does not plan to dispense vaccines during the instructional day in the Fairfax County schools.  

 The first H1N1 vaccination clinics will be held on Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25, at the following Fairfax County schools:  Franklin, Frost, Glasgow, Hughes, Key, Kilmer, Liberty, Longfellow, Sandburg, and South County.  Persons older than 25 years of age will not be vaccinated at these weekend clinics. In the near future, we will provide more detailed information about the weekend clinics, including the operating hours, as well as links to educational materials and consent forms. 

 In the coming weeks and months, the FCHD as well as many local physicians and private healthcare providers will be offering H1N1 vaccines at other sites so that everyone will have opportunities to receive the H1N1 flu vaccine. 

 We will share more information with you as soon as it develops.  In the meantime, we urge you to discuss immunization for H1N1 with your health care providers and address any questions or concerns you have so that you can make an informed decision.  You should begin these discussions now so that you are better prepared to respond when you receive more information about the vaccination clinics later this month.  Please check the FCPS H1N1 web page at http://www.fcps.edu/news/swineflu.htm or the FCHD web page at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/flu  for more information on this evolving situation.

 Jack D. Dale, Superintendent, Fairfax County Public Schools Gloria Addo-Ayensu, M.D., M.P.H. , Director of Health, Fairfax County