By Stacie N. Galang
PEABODY — Middle and high school students across the city will be able to receive the H1N1 flu vaccine if they return their consent forms by Monday.
The city's Public Health Department and the School Department will host a vaccine clinic at Higgins Middle School during the week of Nov. 30 and at Peabody High the week of Dec. 7.
Students took home consent forms Nov. 13. They will only be able to receive the flu shots if they return the signed forms to the school nurse.
Additional forms can be picked up at City Hall or downloaded from the city's Web site: www.peabody-ma.gov.
So far, the response for the middle and high school clinics has been much smaller than expected, Health Director Sharon Cameron said. She hoped to get word out to parents and the public about the clinics to ensure more students take advantage.
For the clinics, students will be called down in small groups much like they do for school hearing and vision screenings, the health director said.
Cameron said yesterday that the city has already offered Saturday vaccine clinics for elementary school students who came with their parents. Another clinic for younger children is expected in coming weeks, she said.
Cameron said the city has used its supply of vaccines at its own clinics for high-risk groups or distributed them to local pediatricians and obstetricians to administer to their patients.
"We're getting it out directly and getting it out to (primary care physicians)," she said. "We're taking advantage of the infrastructure that exists."
For more information on flu vaccine availability, please call the city's flu information line at 978-538-5758.
