From Albemarle County Schools and the Henley Matters listserv:

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THE H1N1 FLU VACCINE: DUE TODAY, TUESDAY 13

PLEASE READ THIS PACKET CAREFULLY AND RETURN ALL REQUIRED FORMS ON OR BEFORE TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13TH. EVERY CHILD, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THEY WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE SCHOOL-BASED CLINIC, SHOULD RETURN THE VACCINE PLAN FORM.

· Vaccinations are currently scheduled for October 28th.

· Vaccination will be voluntary. No child will receive the H1N1 flu vaccine if we do not have a signed consent form from a parent or guardian.

· There is no cost for your child to receive the H1N1 flu vaccine at school.

· We are offering only the 2009 H1N1 flu shot, as described on the Vaccine Information Statement. This vaccine contains the common preservative thimerosal. We will not offer the Nasal Mist flu vaccine. If you wish your child to receive the Nasal Mist or a preservative-free vaccine, please make arrangements with a private provider as soon as possible.

· One dose of vaccine is required for children age ten and older, but two doses are recommended for children age nine and younger. The second dose is required four weeks after the first. We will schedule follow-up clinics for the second dose.

· If a child with permission to be vaccinated does not cooperate, we will not force him or her to receive the vaccine. We will inform you so you can make vaccination arrangements with a private provider.

All documents sent home with students (letter in English/Spanish, VIS in English/Spanish, Vaccination Plan and VDH Consent Form) as well as master schedules of clinic dates are located here. The link is also available from the division home page.

Listen to the message from the Albemarle County School System here.

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MESSAGE FROM ALBEMARLE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT – H1N1 A FLU INFORMATION FROM VDOE
Greetings, Albemarle County Public Schools Families and Educators:

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Health, has produced brief videos to inform parents and educators of the steps they can take to prevent the spread of H1N1 A and seasonal influenza in schools.

Please view “H1N1 for Parents” (length 3:05) by clicking this link.

A companion video, “H1N1 for Educators” (length 3:54), describes the steps schools should take to protect the health of students and staff and may be viewed at this address.

Additional information on H1N1 A Influenza and schools is available on the VDOE Web site at this address.

Thank you for your support as we all work together to keep our children safe, healthy, and ready to learn. You may also visit our News site, www.k12albemarle.org/news and click on the H1N1 information link on the left hand side. We are posting updates from the Thomas Jefferson Health Department, as well as copies of any communications regarding H1N1 A influenza distributed through our schools.

Maury Brown, communications coordinator
on behalf of

Dr. Bruce Benson
Assistant Superintendent for Planning & Systems Operations
(434)296-5877

Editor’s note:

I’m encouraging everyone to ask questions about the vaccine(s). A little questioning and healthy skepticism can’t hurt.

Age of Autism

Charlottesville-Right Now: Barbara Loe Fisher