New Guidance on School-Located Vaccination for H1N1

September 14, 2009 – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued guidance for school-located vaccinations (SLVs) for the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus.  The documents included in the guidance are designed to provide information for planning and conducting H1N1 vaccinations that target school-aged children enrolled in school and potentially other groups within the community.  The guidance is primarily for state and local public health department immunization and preparedness staff, but is also directed to education officials, school nurses, and others interested in planning and conducting such activities. 

The first available H1N1 vaccine is expected to be ready by mid-October.  The government has recommended that certain groups of people be vaccinated before others including school-aged children, who are generally 5-18 years.  According to the guidance, there are several benefits to administering the vaccine within schools including that a large number of children are found in schools and that schools are conveniently located throughout communities.  Nevertheless, the guidance also discusses potential challenges to conducting SLVs including locating adequate staff to prepare for and conduct the clinic and managing the possible disruption of class time.

The guidance states that the public health department has traditionally led SLV efforts, but a school/school district or private organization can also take primary responsibility.  Regardless of who leads the initiative, according to the guidance, the first step in planning for SLV clinics is to form partnerships between the public health department and education agencies, as well as any other organization(s) that could assist with SLVs.  Additionally, the decision to hold an SLV for H1N1 should be made at the local level, since the feasibility of holding these clinics vary greatly by local health department, school district, and individual schools. 

The guidance includes information on: 

• Populations identified for vaccination – planners will need to identify which populations will be offered the opportunity to be vaccinated;
• Logistics – planners will need to decide whether to hold SLV clinics before, during, and/or after school hours.  In this section the pros and cons for each of those timeframes are laid out; and 
• Potential sources for non-public health department staff and ideas for recruitment – although existing school staff may be willing to provide assistance, competing priorities may limit their involvement.

The guidance also includes a section on the need to educate students, parents, and school staff to contribute to the success of SLV programs and to inform and enlist the support of health care providers.  Moreover, the guidance offers information and resources for: preparing forms and letters to parents and guardians such as consent forms and vaccine information statements; maximizing the participation in the SLV program; administering the vaccine and preventing and reporting possible adverse events; storing and handling the vaccine; and reporting and tracking vaccine information.

In addition, the documents include guidance on legal issues surrounding SLVs; information on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA); as well as tools and helpful links.

For additional information, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/slv. General guidelines for large-scale (non-students) vaccination clinics are posted on the CDC H1N1 website.