The City of Richmond has announced an H1N1 vaccination clinic for Thursday, November 19th between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. The clinic will be held at the Richmond Health District clinic entrance at 401 E. Main Street.

The Richmond Health District is conducting a special H1N1 clinic offering nasal mist vaccination for City of Richmond middle and high school students who’ve yet to be vaccinated. Slower than anticipated vaccine delivery has put the public school vaccination campaign behind schedule, and both school and health district officials want to provide an opportunity for secondary grade students to be vaccinated before school lets out for upcoming seasonal holidays which usually include close family gatherings and lots of socializing that could spread illnesses.

Thursday’s clinic also introduces the availability of H1N1 vaccine in nasal spray form to the school vaccination campaign that has been limited to only injectable vaccine for elementary school students. A permission form signed by the student’s parent or guardian is needed for any student to be vaccinated.

The clinic on Thursday will focus on providing nasal mist (LAIV) vaccine to healthy students up to 24. Injectable vaccine will be made available to students who have medical conditions that would not allow them to receive the nasal mist form of vaccine:

• Persons with severe (life-threatening) allergy to eggs or substances in the vaccine

• Pregnant women

• Anyone with a weakened immune system

• Anyone with chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease

• Guillian-Barre syndrome

Many of the Richmond middle and high schools had a very low percentage of parental permission forms returned to the school when the vaccination campaign began mid-October. The Health District and school administrators would like for parents who have not do so, to provide permission forms now, so that numbers of students vaccinated will be sufficient to provide protection for the student body at their child’s school.

These students are among the persons most at risk for severe complications from the H1N1 virus and this population has been more susceptible to the disease.

In addition to augmenting slow delivery of injectable vaccine, school officials think offering vaccine in nasal mist form might encourage students that are squeamish about getting a vaccination by needle, will be more agreeable to the painless and easy administration of nasal mist.

The Richmond Health District is hoping to actively begin H1N1 vaccination at middle schools and then high schools within the next two-weeks and is working with Richmond Public Schools to make a second effort to obtain permission forms signed by parents or guardians so that students can be protected against swine flu as soon as possible.

These students are among the persons most at risk for severe complications from the H1N1 virus and this population has been more susceptible to the disease.