School-Located H1N1 Influenza Vaccination: Template Letter to Principals

September 13, 2009, 2:45 AM ET

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STATE/LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT LOGO
STATE/LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT ADDRESS

DATE

Dear (NAME OF SCHOOL PRINCIPAL),

As you are aware based on communication from the (COUNTY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT’S OFFICE or OTHER APPLICABLE GOVERNMENT OFFICE), the STATE/LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT will be offering the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine to children [and others indicated for initial doses of 2009 H1N1 vaccine] at your school this fall. 

Cases of 2009 H1N1 influenza infections continued to occur in the United States and around the world over the summer, including outbreaks among children at camps. Younger persons are at increased risk of infection.  Based on these data, the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended that children and young adults aged 6 months through 24 years be vaccinated against 2009 H1N1 as soon as vaccine is available.  Other groups recommended to receive initial doses of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine: 

• Pregnant women
• People who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age
• Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel, and
• People 25 through 64 years of age who are at higher risk for complications of 2009 H1N1 infections because of certain health conditions, including: chronic pulmonary (including asthma), cardiovascular (except hypertension), renal, hepatic, hematological (including sickle cell disease), neurologic, neuromuscular, or metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus); and immunosuppression, including that caused by medications or by HIV.

Vaccinating children [and other indicated groups] at school can help meet the demand for convenient, timely vaccination while decreasing the burden on local health care providers who may be busy treating those infected with 2009 H1N1 and/or seasonal influenza.  

Because two doses of the 2009 H1N1 vaccine likely will be required for children to benefit fully from this vaccine, the STATE/LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT would like to hold two vaccination clinics at your school scheduled three to four weeks apart.  We will be sending out a proposed vaccination schedule soon. 

We have included with this letter the following documents: (1) a letter to send to parents informing them about the clinics, (2) the 2009 H1N1 Vaccine Information Statement which contains information on the 2009 H1N1 vaccine, and (3) the parental consent form(s), which will need to be reviewed and signed by parents and returned to school staff [versus brought to the vaccine clinic, depending on how the clinic is structured] before a child can be vaccinated. The form provides a place for parents who do not want their child vaccinated to decline vaccination.

We will contact you soon to discuss specific plans for holding the clinics.  If you have questions, please contact ________ at: xxx-xxx-xxxx.  For more information about the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus or vaccine, please visit the STATE/LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT website ( ), Flu.gov, or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website (www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/).

Thank you,

State or local public health official