New Mexico School Influenza Pilot Project

Background:
Last year, the ACIP issued a new recommendation that all children 6 months through 18 years of age receive influenza vaccine. New Mexico is a large state with a centralized health department, but locally controlled school districts serving about 380,000 children. Delivering influenza vaccine through schools is a logical model, but school nurses often are assigned to more than one school and are overworked. New Mexico undertook a pilot project to test this model of vaccine delivery.

Setting:
Influenza immunization clinics took place in approximately 70 schools across New Mexico, including elementary, mid and high schools in varied and geographically dispersed locations.

Population:
30,000 children ages 5 through 18 who attend the 70 schools were targeted in this pilot project.

Project Description:
School nurses and advocates, healthcare providers, and Department of Health nurses piloted giving influenza vaccine in schools in order to reach children easily and save a clinic visit. Each school nurse partnered with local providers and public health nurses to plan and hold mass immunization clinics. Consent forms were sent home with children at and after school registration. Both LAIV and TIV were offered. Clinics were held Oct-Dec. Community partners helped with planning and administering vaccine; guidance was provided, but schools were asked to develop their own methods in order to be able to learn what approaches worked best.

Results/Lessons Learned:
The pilot school clinics were evaluated through a questionnaire and debriefing meeting. Clinic organizers shared their approaches and the factors that contributed to success. In addition, the Epidemiology Division tracked influenza and influenza-like illness in the communities with a school pilot project to measure impact on school absenteeism and influenza-like illness. The results will be shared with the entire provider community to determine approaches to be taken in 2009-2010, when the ACIP recommendation takes full effect.