(September 19, 2008)-- Starting Monday, researchers at the Scott & White clinic and Baylor College of Medicine will vaccinate as many as 23,000 Temple-Belton area children against the flu as part of a ground-breaking study that started a decade ago.
The Vaccines for Influenza Prevention in Schools campaign offers free flu immunizations to students ages 4 and older at their schools.
Most will receive FluMist®, the nasal spray vaccine, instead of a flu shot, but those who aren’t eligible for the masal spray because of chronic illness may still participate and receive a shot.
“The results reported from previous years of this community-based study and other school-based studies have already led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to make a new recommendation in 2008 that all school-age children get vaccinated against influenza,” said Dr.
Manjusha Gaglani, the local principal investigator of the study and associate professor of pediatric infectious diseases at Scott & White.
Students in the Academy, Belton, Holland, Rogers, Salado, Temple and Troy can participate in the study and receive flu vaccinations at no charge.
Parents should receive information and consent forms in the mail or from schools a few weeks before the team is scheduled to vaccinate students.
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