SEWICKLEY, Pa. -- There is growing concern about the spread of the h1n1 flu in the Pittsburgh area, especially in the wake of the news that the first death of a child because of the virus in Pennsylvania.
More and more parents are seeking the vaccine for their children and one local school district is taking action.
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Allegheny Co. School District Holds H1N1 ClinicThere have been 17 confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu in the Quaker Valley School District. On Wednesday night, an H1N1 vaccine clinic will be held at Edgeworth Elementary School from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.. Channel 4 Action News' Amber Nicotra reported the response to the clinic has been overwhelming.
"Everybody was interested and we thought wow we're getting a bigger response than we have doses," said the school district's health services coordinator, Aimee Benedict.
Of the 500 doses of the H1N1 vaccines available to students in the district, 499 students have pre-registered for the shots. Another two dozen are on the waiting list.
"This virus is so contagious, so easily spread. Our attendance rates have shown that. And so if we did register as a site to give the vaccine, our superintendent said that would be wonderful," Benedict said.
Like other school districts, Quaker Valley has seen their share of cases of the swine flu.
Thirteen cases were reported at Quaker Valley High School, one case at Quaker Valley Middle School, two cases at Osborne Elementary and one case at Edgeworth Elementary.
"October was a big month for us. It seemed each week a different school got hit. And while our attendance is usually in high 90s, we were seeing them in the low 80s. Our nurses were seeing a lot of the temperatures, the body aches," Benedict said.
In an effort to keep kids healthy and absenteeism down, Quaker Valley administrators said they jumped at the chance to offer the vaccine to its students.
"We think it's the right thing to do for kids. We thought that from the very beginning. It's worked out really well for our school district," said Superintendent Joseph Clapper.
This is the first and most likely the only H1N1 clinic the district will hold.
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