Super Shot/Parkview Hospital FluMist Clinics

Background:
Each year 20,000 children in the United States are hospitalized because of influenza and 100 children die from the flu. The CDC recommends that all children age 6 month to 18 years of age receive an annual flu vaccine. Many families are unaware of these guidelines and the importance of immunizations for influenza. Families may also be reluctant to obtain flu vaccine for their children because of the cost of the vaccine or the inconvenience of obtaining the vaccine. Super Shot and Parkview Hospital school based immunization clinics remove these barriers by providing education and free immunizations for low income at-risk children at school during normal school hours.

Setting:
Title 1 Elementary Schools

Population:
Students in grades pre-kindergarten through 5th grade are eligible to participate.

Project Description:
Super Shot and Parkview Hospital partner with local school systems to conduct free FluMist clinics at local schools designated as Title 1 schools. These schools have over 70 percent of children participating in the free and reduced lunch program. The clinics are operated at each school during normal school hours. Vaccine information is sent home prior to the clinic to educate parents and obtain parental permission. Hospital staff, in conjunction with the school nurses administer the vaccine at the school. Over 300 children have been able to be vaccinated in just over an hour utilizing this process.

Results/Lessons Learned:
By developing partnerships with the local hospital and the school systems, educating parents, and making the FluMist readily available, this program has provided FluMist to approximately 4,900 children with 6,500 doses in the last two years. The program has grown from eleven Title 1 Schools to seventeen schools this current school year with an estimated 4,200 doses of FluMist to be administered.