Dee-Cajungaltx wrote:Do you think schools should be giving vax's?
Why or Why not?

 
Nope, not their place.  They aren't the parents nor the child's doctor.  If this was done to my child, I'd be suing the snot out of someone.

i would never be ok with my son getting any medical care without my permission and without myself or dh present.  an emergency situation, ok but for vax?  never ever ever ok.  i would pull my child from that school and seek legal action as well.

I don't think the schools should be allowed to provide anything medical beyond some betadine and a  band-aid without parental consent.  Not medication, not a vaccine, not birth control.

I am okay with schools making the flu-shot vax available to students (and their families) simply because of the crowds and shortages at the clinics/pharmacies/doctor's offices in our area.  But, it is TOTALLY wrong for the school to give those vax's to kids without their parents written permission. 
 
I would be livid and I imagine I would take this fight pretty far. 

I'm fine with the school making the shots available to families. I do not think it should be a regular thing but see this year a little differently with the waiting time that is going with many clinics. I do think that the parent needs to be present or have expressed written consent and the school and nurse need to be checking to make sure that they have it.
 
My school district is one of the largest in the United States. We will be offering the vaccination but it will be handled a little differently. Children will not just be sent home notices to sign yes or no. Parents have to come with their kids. I just wish that they had a few extended hours for people that work. But do see this as a way to have less mistakes.

If the school here vax'd my child I would seriously consult a lawyer. While the schools here made the vax available free of charge to all students and teachers, it was not forced.
 
I would be VERY IRRATE. Oh man. Im getting all worked up here! I cannot believe that a school would do that without permission. WTH were they thinking? The ONLY medical care i expect my child to receive at school would be if they were suddenly sick, or fell and needed bandages. Do we now have to be afraid to send our kids to school because they might be getting vax'd w/ the h1n1?!?!

Dee-Cajungaltx wrote:Only 3 of them - out of 2500 kids - but one had a medical condition that the parents were checking on complications from the vax before deciding.
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2009/10/30/2009-10-30_sorry_bout_the_shot_public_school_nurses_give_swine_flu_vaccine_to_kids_without_.html
I am of the opinion, that schools should NOT be involved in medical issues. 
My child goes to private school, so maybe this is normal and I'm just unaware - but do schools regularly offer the flu vax - before the H1N1 scare thing started? 
Regardless, I think that it  a.) puts a 'perceived' agreement/suggestion on the part of the schools for whatever is occurring and b.) allows parents to 'surrender' their responsibilities to the school.  If I, as a parent, want my child to get a vax - then it's my job to GET them the vax.
Do you think schools should be giving vax's?
Why or Why not?

 
In theory, no I do not think that schools should vax.  I think that pediatricians who know their patients and their histories should vax.
 
However, in places like the inner cities where parents won't bring their kids to get vaccinated solely because of money (taking time off from work, co-pays, etc) I think that its fine for a school to do so with parental consent.  A lot of inner city parents want their kids vax'd but can't do it themselves.

No way should schools be involved in this. I would be okay with schools having a clinic where doctors/nurses come in and offer it, but it should require the parent to be present at the time of the vaccination. The school has no place getting involved in this. If they did this at my DD's school I'd pull her on any days that it was happening just as a precaution.

My FMIL's school is doing it, but with permission slips for all of the kids.  While I think that the parents should be there with their child for the shot/take them to the doc themselves, I can understand why the school is doing it.  They're offering it for free and at the school so that more students will get it and help prevent the spread of the flu. 

With permission slips I can understand it.  A school just giving them to students is absolutely unacceptable and I would be livid.  And the school would be paying for any medical bills that resulted in them giving my child the shot.

californiabelle wrote:My FMIL's school is doing it, but with permission slips for all of the kids.  While I think that the parents should be there with their child for the shot/take them to the doc themselves, I can understand why the school is doing it.  They're offering it for free and at the school so that more students will get it and help prevent the spread of the flu. 
With permission slips I can understand it.  A school just giving them to students is absolutely unacceptable and I would be livid.  And the school would be paying for any medical bills that resulted in them giving my child the shot.

  
Even with a permission slip policy people can still mess up and vaccinate someone who shouldn't be. I highly doubt that the schools who are participating in this would be doing so without a permission slip, otherwise they are open to liability issues such as this very thing.

***ETA  I just re-read the article from the link. The schools did have parents send in permission slips and the mistakes still happened. That is why I wouldn't even send my child on those days....that kind of stuff happens.

No schools have not routinely given out flu vax before this H1N1 business.  At least not that I've ever seen.  We got a form last week from dd's school.  They said even if you didn't want it, you had to sign the form saying you deny it.  I think if it becomes mandatory, like mmr etc, then fine I'll get them a form from my doc saying she had it, but since it's voluntary, for now, I think it's none of their business.  And they should not be giving any vax at schools.
Becky

I have no problem with schools doing it with permissions slips or the parents present.   I remember getting shots at school when I was kid.  Just makes things a lot simpler and there are more parents working now than when I was a kid so I can imagine that it must be very difficult for some families to take time off to take their kids into a clinic. 

Where are these places in the country that have so much vaccine that they can give it to people who don't even want it?  Here, there are three-hour lines for just the high-risk people, in the places where they have any vaccine at all.  The water-cooler talk isn't, "Oh, I'm having vaccine pushed on me" but "I can't get a vaccination even though I am in high risk category X."  My health provider doesn't think it will have a real supply until December.
 
Anyhow, I have zero problem with schools running vaccine clinics.  Obviously they should review permission slips carefully, as they should be for the myriad of other things I'm always signing permission slips for.

Dee-Cajungaltx wrote:Do you think schools should be giving vax's?
Why or Why not?

 
It's happening nationwide. That is why my child will not go to school if/when they do school vaccines.
 
No, they shouldn't do them, any of them, and mandates for any of them either.

Super hot for me... My son got a paper home one of the first weeks of school saying they'd be holding a h1n1 vax clinic at his PRIVATE school sometimes this fall. We still haven't heard word on when. When we turned in his paper that clearly said NO, his teacher kind of gave us a look like why would you do that? Well, they have started the clinics in some of the public schools here and sure enough a child that wasn't supposed to be vaxed received the shot. I've decided when it comes down to it Kaiden will be missing school on the clinic day, even if it is multiple days. I'm not taking the risk that some idiot doesn't read correctly. Kaiden knows that no one is to give him meds except Mommy or Daddy especially shots, but he's 5... I'm sure they wouldn't listen. That is irreversible harm imo.
 
And to answer your other question I had NEVER heard of schools holding vaccination clinics prior to this, public or private and I think it sucks. If I want my kid vaccinated I will take them to their pediatrician. Too much big brother for me.

I'm ok with the schools offering the shot as long as it's a nurse or something giving it but I would be livid if I had not authorized it and they gave it to my child!  Clearly better controls needed to be in place there but I am not against them doing it at all. 

No, I think that vaccines should be administered in a clinical setting.  If the child is under 18 the parent should be present.  The parent needs to get the CDC sheet with the vaccine facts and side effects.  If the child is 18 or over (and hence, not really a child) then they could get a vaccine without a parent present.  Written consent is not enough IMO.

Missy1256 wrote:No, I think that vaccines should be administered in a clinical setting.  If the child is under 18 the parent should be present.  The parent needs to get the CDC sheet with the vaccine facts and side effects.  If the child is 18 or over (and hence, not really a child) then they could get a vaccine without a parent present.  Written consent is not enough IMO.

 
Most people I know have always received their flu shots outside of a clinical setting -- at a drugstore, Wal-mart, or worksite flu "clinic."  In order to go to my actual clinical provider to get a shot, you have to wait in the GP waiting area . . . with all of the flu patients.

deborahdeborah wrote:

No, I think that vaccines should be administered in a clinical setting.  If the child is under 18 the parent should be present.  The parent needs to get the CDC sheet with the vaccine facts and side effects.  If the child is 18 or over (and hence, not really a child) then they could get a vaccine without a parent present.  Written consent is not enough IMO.

  
Most people I know have always received their flu shots outside of a clinical setting -- at a drugstore, Wal-mart, or worksite flu "clinic."  In order to go to my actual clinical provider to get a shot, you have to wait in the GP waiting area . . . with all of the flu patients.

 

That must vary by region. I've never even considered getting a vaccine by anyone other than my MD. It seems like this is the first year (that I can remember) when the flu was ever really a concern at the time that you would decide to get a vaccine. Usually the flu shot is offered BEFORE flu is prevalent and so this would not be a concern.

FarrahTTC#2 wrote:

No, I think that vaccines should be administered in a clinical setting.  If the child is under 18 the parent should be present.  The parent needs to get the CDC sheet with the vaccine facts and side effects.  If the child is 18 or over (and hence, not really a child) then they could get a vaccine without a parent present.  Written consent is not enough IMO.

   
Most people I know have always received their flu shots outside of a clinical setting -- at a drugstore, Wal-mart, or worksite flu "clinic."  In order to go to my actual clinical provider to get a shot, you have to wait in the GP waiting area . . . with all of the flu patients.

  
That must vary by region. I've never even considered getting a vaccine by anyone other than my MD. It seems like this is the first year (that I can remember) when the flu was ever really a concern at the time that you would decide to get a vaccine. Usually the flu shot is offered BEFORE flu is prevalent and so this would not be a concern.

Perhaps it does vary by region, but most of my employers wherever I have lived (NY, SC, WA) have offered on-site flu "clinics," and I know both here and in SC the drugstores and Wal-Marts run/ran huge flu "clinics" every year.  I don't think there is anything unusual about getting flu shots outside of a doctor's office.

deborahdeborah wrote:Most people I know have always received their flu shots outside of a clinical setting -- at a drugstore, Wal-mart, or worksite flu "clinic."  In order to go to my actual clinical provider to get a shot, you have to wait in the GP waiting area . . . with all of the flu patients.

   
That must vary by region. I've never even considered getting a vaccine by anyone other than my MD. It seems like this is the first year (that I can remember) when the flu was ever really a concern at the time that you would decide to get a vaccine. Usually the flu shot is offered BEFORE flu is prevalent and so this would not be a concern.[/quote]
Perhaps it does vary by region, but most of my employers wherever I have lived (NY, SC, WA) have offered on-site flu "clinics," and I know both here and in SC the drugstores and Wal-Marts run/ran huge flu "clinics" every year.  I don't think there is anything unusual about getting flu shots outside of a doctor's office.[/quote]
It's like that here in Jersey too Deborah and in Canada.  When I worked in Canada, the nursing home I worked at offered the flu shot, administered by the Director of Care.  Many large employers set up clinics in their workplaces.  Saves having employees takign time off to get get them.  My parents now (in Canada) get theirs at the clinic set up at Shopper's Drug Mart (large drugstore chain) in the mall near their house and do every year.  They've never gone to their doctor for it.   Actually now that I think about it, I've never had a doctor give me a shot, ever.  It's always been a nurse, even at a doctor's office or medi-clinic.

Lulusmom wrote: 
I would be livid and I imagine I would take this fight pretty far. 

 

spacecase76 wrote:

Do you think schools should be giving vax's?
Why or Why not?

  
Nope, not their place.  They aren't the parents nor the child's doctor.  If this was done to my child, I'd be suing the snot out of someone.

 

ditto stacy.

spacecase76 wrote:

Do you think schools should be giving vax's?
Why or Why not?

  
Nope, not their place.  They aren't the parents nor the child's doctor.  If this was done to my child, I'd be suing the snot out of someone.

 
What she said!!