Jackson School District provides flu shots for staff, students, parents

FILE - This Oct. 5, 2007 file photo shows a nurse filling a syringe with a flu vaccination at a CVS pharmacy in the Brooklyn Borough of New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) [Click to enlarge]

The Jackson School District will offer flu shots for staff, students and parents during two clinics next week.

Shots will be available for $25 for anyone older than 4. Associate superintendent Dr. Beth Emmendorfer said the district usually offers flu shots for district staff.

This year officials planned to hold a school-based clinic with the Cape Girardeau County Health Department. The health department canceled four clinics after it ran out of its 1,700 doses. It only received part of an order of 4,000 doses.

When county supplies ran out, the district looked for alternatives, Emmendorfer said.

"None of our regular suppliers had any in stock," she said.

The district is working with St. Louis-based Staff Link to provide the shots. Clinics will be from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 14 and 15 at buildings throughout the district.

"We're just offering [the shots] as another resource for parents," she said.

Late last week and this week, schools in Kennett, Malden and Charleston, Mo., closed because so many students were absent. Officials at Cape Girardeau and Jackson said they are not seeing high numbers of absent students, but they continue to monitor attendance statistics.

"We're just trying to do everything we can and be proactive and help prevent the spread," Emmendorfer said.

Deena Ring, director of special services at the Cape Girardeau School District, sent a letter home to parents Friday with information about the flu.

"At this time there are several rumors that are circulating about the presence of the H1N1 flu in the Cape Girardeau Public Schools," the letter said. "These rumors have been inaccurate and exaggerated."

Ring said Tuesday that the district had been talking with the health department since last year about holding a school-based clinic. Those plans were also scrapped when the department ran out of supplies.

She said custodians have been cleaning high-traffic areas more often. Hand sanitizer is also in the classrooms.

"I don't think we've been hit as hard as other districts have," she said.

abusch@semissourian.com

388-3627

Jackson Schools flu clinic schedule

Oct. 14

* Orchard Drive Elementary: 7 to 9 a.m.

* West Lane Elementary: 10 to 11:30 a.m.

* Junior High School: 12:30 to 2 p.m.

* South Elementary: 3 to 5 p.m.

Oct. 15

* North Elementary: 7 to 9 a.m.

* Senior High School: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

* Middle School: 3 to 5 p.m.

Pertinent address:

301 N. Clark Ave. Cape Girardeau, MO

614 E. Adams St. Jackson MO