Consent forms required for city schools flu vaccine

Parents whose children attend Philadelphia schools must submit written consent by Oct. 20 for students to receive free H1N1 influenza vaccinations, the district announced yesterday.

The vaccines will be administered beginning Oct. 26 by a school nurse or other licensed medical professional in the form of a nasal spray. The district will offer the vaccine to all children in kindergarten through 12th grade. Each school will notify parents in advance when the vaccines for H1N1, also known as swine flu, will be given.

Children older than 10 will probably need only a single dose. Younger students are expected to need two doses three to four weeks apart, officials said.

Parents can opt out by not returning the consent form. The spray is not recommended for students with health conditions such as asthma, sickle-cell anemia, diabetes, or other serious medical problems, and it will not be given to pregnant students, officials said. - Inquirer staff