Grade-school H1N1 vaccinations ready in P.E.I.
Last Updated: Wednesday, November 4, 2009 | 9:52 PM AT
CBC News
Health officials say even children who may have been sick with the swine flu should be vaccinated. (CBC)Students in Grades 1 through 3 who may already have had the swine flu are still being urged to get vaccinated when P.E.I.'s public health nurses are in elementary schools on Thursday and Friday.
"There's no risk to getting the vaccine, even if you've had H1N1," said Dr. Heather Morrison, the province's chief public health officer. "So only those who have had lab-confirmed H1N1 would not need the vaccine."
Enough vaccine has arrived in P.E.I. to inoculate all 5,000 children in the first three grades.
Morrison said even though there are more children between the ages of 10 and 20 getting the flu, the younger children are more severely ill and require hospitalization and ventilators in greater numbers.
"It is the under-10 group that we are seeing that are having more critical care needs in the country," said Morrison. "This group is still the most at risk."
She said the only children who should not be vaccinated are those who are very sick or running a temperature. Public Health has said any children who are absent during the vaccination program will be able to get them as soon as they return.
Dr. Lamont Sweet, P.E.I.'s deputy public health officer, said he is expecting the clinics at the elementary schools to go smoothly, because younger children are often more calm than the other ones.
"They are surprisingly probably the bravest of the 12 grades," he said, to laughter in the room. "They don't tend to get each other as upset as the Grade 9s."
Sweet said while parents may accompany their children to be vaccinated, it is "not necessary or even recommended."
More illness
As of Wednesday, 26 of the province's schools reported high absentee rates, with two reaching more than 30 per cent.
Western School Board officials said fear of the H1N1 virus is causing some parents to keep their children home from school even if they are healthy.
Superintendent Dale Sabean said it seems to be happening in schools that have many children absent with flu-like symptoms, such as St. Louis Elementary School.
"We are asking our schools and our staff to certainly not penalize the students in any way upon their return," he said.
Meanwhile, there are three people with lab-confirmed cases of H1N1 in hospital in the province. Morrison said 16 people have been put in hospital since the recent outbreak began, with one needing a ventilator.
That patient has since recovered enough to be taken off the machine.
Morrison said the average age of those hospitalized was 16.
Events cancelled
The Native Council of Prince Edward Island have postponed all of its activities and events scheduled up to and including Nov. 20.
Council members said they decided to take the precaution after consulting with the Public Health office and with the knowledge that people in First Nations communities are in a high-risk group.
Cancelled events include the Cultural Connections Youth Program, the Thursday night drum group and the town hall meetings scheduled for Tyne Valley and Montague.
