Over the next week or so, Scott County parents of school-age children will be receiving a mailing from Scott County Public Health (one envelope per child enrolled in school). Inside will be important documents.

• A letter explaining the county’s H1N1 optional vaccination clinics that will be held at schools.

• A “question and answer” section to help answer many questions about the clinics as well as the nature of the vaccines themselves.

• Two vaccine information sheets, “About H1N1 immunization” in the form of FluMist and the shot injections that have been provided by the Minnesota Department of Health.

• A permission slip for parents to complete if they wish to have their child/children to be vaccinated. 

Local schools will be offering these clinics as a convenience for parents and families in the district, and vaccination is not mandatory. However, Scott County Public Health does urge parents to strongly consider vaccinating children against the novel H1N1 influenza virus, which has been shown to be particularly virulent among young people.

The vaccination will be provided in two forms: The FluMist nasal spray, which – unless a child has an existing illness – may be the preferred route, as it is less invasive and frightening for most young children; and the more familiar injection-administered vaccine.

All of the vaccinations, regardless of form, will be administered by Scott County Public Health nurses. Local health care providers will be administering H1N1 vaccine as well, although Scott County has no specific information at this point as to when and where these vaccines will be available.

If parents prefer to have their children receive the vaccine at a local health-care provider’s office or clinic, they are advised to contact them directly.