PARENT ALERT: Sending flu shot consent forms home

BY JESSICA LYONS

Wednesday, October 21, 2009 11:40 AM EDT

Parents of New York City elementary school students will begin receiving consent forms this week that will enable their children to get the H1N1 vaccination.

The packets being sent home during the course of the next two weeks also includes information and screening forms. Once the forms have been signed and returned, the student will be able to receive a free H1N1 vaccination as part of the city’s plan to fight outbreaks in schools this year.

“Vaccination is the best weapon we have against influenza,” said New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley. “Children are especially susceptible to the H1N1 strain, so we hope parents will ensure that their kids are protected. Getting vaccinated is safe, effective and simple. Thanks to this initiative, it’s also free.”

Elementary students will start to receive the vaccinations in late October, during clinics held during the regular school day. Students in middle school and high school will receive the vacations during weekend clinics held in November and December.

“Our schools are working closely with the Health Department to make sure all of our students receive the vaccine if their parents want them immunized,” said Schools Chancellor Joel Klein. “The program is voluntary and we will not vaccinate children without parental consent, so we encourage families to sign the consent forms and send them back within three days of receiving them.”

The information is available in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, English, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Urdu.

Along with the materials being sent home, parents can also access them at www.nyc.gov/flu.