BEVERLY — The Beverly Public School system plans to offer the swine flu vaccine to students at no cost as soon as the vaccine is available.
Middle school and high school students will be vaccinated during the school day. Elementary school students will be vaccinated at an after-school or weekend clinic so they can be accompanied by their parents.
Dr. Sheryl Silva, the schools' consulting physician, said children 18 and younger should be vaccinated against the H1N1 flu.
"We would like everybody to be vaccinated," she said. "If you have a 30 to 40 percent absentee rate, the impact on the school is significant."
The elementary schools have sent home letters to parents to survey their interest. The time and location of a vaccination clinic will be provided once it is determined how many elementary students are getting the vaccine.
Vaccination clinics for middle and high school students will be held at Briscoe Middle School and Beverly High School during the school day as soon as the vaccine is available. Families will be given a week's notice.
The vaccines will be provided by the Beverly Board of Health through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
"We are hopeful we'll be able to meet the demand, but it depends on the availability," Silva said.
She encouraged families to get the swine flu vaccine from their family doctor if possible and not wait for the school vaccines.
Silva said the School Department is encouraging students to get the nasal spray vaccine, "mostly because kids don't like shots."
"It's equally effective, maybe slightly more so, and it's a very safe vaccine," Silva said.
Certain students with underlying medical conditions should not be given the nasal spray vaccine, which contains a weakened live virus, Silva said. Those students will be provided the vaccine by injection.
Consent forms sent home to parents of middle and high school students must be returned to school by tomorrow. The survey forms sent to elementary school parents must also be returned by tomorrow.
For more information, go to www.beverlyschools.org and visit the "Health Services" page.
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