Medford Sun

By AUBRIE GEORGE | The Medford Sun
The Burlington County Board of Health has been receiving H1N1 vaccine in limited quantities, which has temporarily halted efforts to vaccinate children at Medford K through 8 schools.
Vaccination clinics that were scheduled for two days last week had to be cancelled because the County Board of Health has been experiencing a shortage in delivery of the vaccine due to manufacturing delays, according to a statement on the county’s Web site. 
Flu-shot clinics and vaccinations are scheduled and provided by the County Board of Health, and are beyond the district’s control, school officials said.
Medford public school students were scheduled to receive vaccinations on Nov. 16 and Nov. 17 last week.
School officials said they were in the process of working out a new date for vaccination clinics with the County Board of Health.  School officials said they would announce that date to school principals and notify parents as soon as it is confirmed.
H1N1, otherwise known as swine flu, is easily spread easily among school-aged children, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
To prevent the spread of the flu, the CDC suggests covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and throwing the tissue in the trash after you use it. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands.
Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
You should avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth because germs are spread this way, and do not share personal items like drinks, food or unwashed utensils.
Also, try to avoid close contact with sick people and do not send sick children to school.
The CDC advises that if your child has been sick with flu-like symptoms, they should not return to school until they have been fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medications for at least 24 hours.
Symptoms of the 2009 H1N1 flu virus include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea.
People may be infected with the flu, including 2009 H1N1, and have respiratory symptoms without a fever.
This season, there is a seasonal flu vaccine to protect against seasonal flu viruses and a 2009 H1N1 vaccine to protect against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. A flu vaccine is the first and most important step in protecting against flu infection, according to the CDC.
Parents of Medford K through 8 students were required to fill out and sign consent and medical history forms in order for children to be vaccinated.
Vaccinations are voluntary and are given by certified personnel from the County Board of Health.
According to the County Board of Health, the majority of students will receive the vaccine in the form of the nasal mist.
However, the nasal mist is not recommended for children with certain health conditions such as asthma, a weakened immune system, and certain muscle and nerve disorders. Those students will receive the injected form of the vaccine.
Countywide vaccinations that were scheduled for last week were cancelled as well due to the vaccine shortage. 
The County Board of Health said those vaccination clinics would be rescheduled once more vaccine becomes available.
For vaccination updates, visit the Burlington County Board of Health’s web site at www.co.burlington.nj.us/departments/health.
For more information on H1N1 visit the CDC’s web site, www.cdc.gov.