By Kristin Holtz, Correspondent
With November turning to December, Scott County Public Health still has its two largest school districts to reach in the fight against H1N1 influenza.

County health officials have yet to begin vaccinations in the Prior Lake-Savage and Shakopee school districts. The department is waiting for its next vaccine shipment before scheduling more in-school clinics, according to Scott County Public Health Director Jennifer Deschaine.

The county will receive more doses of the vaccine for in-school clinics, Deschaine said; however, no exact date has been set for the shipment’s arrival. She hopes to begin clinics at the remaining schools by Dec. 2.

Scott County Public Health began vaccinating children in kindergarten up to age 9 Nov. 17 at elementary schools in Belle Plaine, Jordan and New Prague. The schools were chosen by lottery.

Nurses administered 1,479 doses to children at schools in Belle Plaine, New Market, New Prague, Webster and Jordan. About 60 percent of families with children at the schools chose to receive the vaccination, according to Deschaine.

The Minnesota Department of Health released new guidelines Tuesday allowing health agencies to offer the vaccine to the full list of priority groups identified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The list includes all children age 6 months to 24 years of age.

With the new guidelines, public health will offer the vaccine to all elementary students, Deschaine said. The goal is to finish the Shakopee and then Prior Lake-Savage elementary schools by Dec. 18.

Health officials will likely return to schools in Belle Plaine, Jordan and New Prague to issue doses to children 10 and older before moving to middle schools, junior highs and high schools, Deschaine said.

So far, the county has received three shipments of H1N1 vaccine, Deschaine said. The first was a flu mist given to health-care workers and first responders.

The next doses expanded to include the first five priority groups, such as pregnant women, infant caregivers, children 6 months to 4 years of age and youth with chronic disease.

To date, Scott County Public Health has administered 3,086 doses of the vaccine.
“Our goal is always not to sit on the vaccine. We’ll continue to use the vaccine until it’s gone, until our next shipment,” Deschaine said.

Children under 9 require a second dose of the H1N1 vaccine. However, there is a 28-day waiting period, so whether public health officials return to the elementary buildings to administer a second dose may depend on availability, Deschaine said.

Although officials expect flu activity to be downgraded from “widespread” to “regional,” Deschaine said a third wave of H1N1 may return by mid-January. A general mass clinic may be scheduled for later this month for all priority groups.

“We are working hard to continue to get as many people vaccinated as possible before that wave would happen, because that would dramatically decrease the illness and spread of H1N1,” she said.

Kristin Holtz can be reached at (952) 345-6678 or kholtz@swpub.com.