It is forecast that the H1N1 vaccine will be available to students mid-November. Photo EFE


By Patty Cruz Lopez

The San Jose Unified School District’s ambitious plan to offer the H1N1 vaccine to all of its 32,000 students has hit a speed bump. A second batch of the vaccine was delivered to Santa Clara County in a considerably smaller amount (8,800) than expected (50,000). Who gets a fast pass to the front of the line? People that are deemed high risk such as children under the age of 5, pregnant women, the extremely ill and the elderly.

Wendy Funes went to Kaiser in San Jose, one of the hospitals distributing the H1N1 vaccine, on Tuesday, October 27 to get it for her two-year-old son Damien. The very next day they were all out of the shot but offered the live vaccine, which is only recommended for selected people, in the form of a nasal spray.

Funes said, “I saw the news about children dieing and the long lines forming so I decided to get my child vaccinated as soon as possible.” After an hour wait Damien received a half of a dose of the vaccine, because of his age, and will return in a month to complete the dosage. She says, “I feel more comfortable now that he has it.”

Damien has insurance but those who will benefit most from SJUSD’s massive undertaking are students who are not covered by medical insurance or do not have access to health care. Still because of the limited supply across the country those students will have to wait.

District officials are active in moving forward to lay the groundwork for the vaccines’ arrival. The district is made up of 26 elementary schools, 6 middle schools, and 6 high schools; the plan includes setting up two pilot clinics at two separate school sites where the vaccine will be given.

Marty Fenstersheib, Santa Clara County’s public health officer has agreed to be the supervising physician for the SJUSD and its 20 school nurses who will distribute the H1N1 vaccine at no cost to all students who want it. The SJUSD is in the process of printing literature to explain the vaccine, the H1N1 virus, and the details of their plan to offer the free vaccine clinics.

The district will send this along with permission slips for parents to sign within the next few weeks. The vaccine is forecasted to be available for SJUSD students by mid-November.