Horry Co. Schools to begin H1N1 vaccination clinics

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HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) - It's one of the hardest-hit age groups for the swine flu, and Horry County Schools are beginning H1N1 immunization clinics Monday.

School officials say there are about 37,000 students in the district and they expect about 40 to 50 percent of those to get the shots.

The first round of immunizations will begin promptly on Monday morning at Aynor Elementary, Midland Elementary, Pee Dee Elementary and South Conway Elementary. The clinics, according to an immunization schedule, will circulate through all Horry County schools through Dec. 17.

Teachers at each school have sent a consent letter home with each child, allowing parents to decide whether or not they would like their children to get the vaccine. The letters were also accompanied with a fact sheet with more information on the vaccine, its purpose and side effects.

The vaccine, according to the letter, is provided for free by the district.

Officials say that schools will only be giving out the shot forms of the vaccination, not the nasal spray. They also say that students do not have to get the vaccination, it is not required.

Officials with Horry County Schools says the clinics are a cooperative effort between the district and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.

Tammy Trulove, the coordinator of student health services for Horry County Schools, says it's important to offer these vaccinations to students in order to keep the students as healthy as possible and to give everyone a chance to get vaccinated.

"We felt as a district that the most important thing for our student population was for us to be there and us to be able to provide for the health and safety," explained Trulove, "so that a lot of parents who can't go to the health department or who don't have transportation, have the available means to get their children vaccinated like everybody else."

For a complete schedule of clinics, immunization consent forms and information on the vaccine, click here.