Minister O’Keeffe urges schools to work with HSE as swine flu vaccine plan begins

The Minister for Education and Science, Batt O’Keeffe TD, today [Wednesday 18 Nov. 2009] urged schools to continue to cooperate with the Health Services Executive (HSE) ahead of the planned swine flu vaccination programme for children which starts next week.

The Department of Education and Science has written to all schools advising them of the arrangements the HSE is putting in place for the start of the vaccination programme.

The HSE is making arrangements to distribute information on the vaccination programme to the parents of every child enrolled in a school.

School staff will be vaccinated, too, as part of this phase of the national vaccination programme focussing on children of school-going age.

It’s expected that the programme will be completed early next year.

Minister O’Keeffe paid tribute to schools for helping to prevent the spread of the H1N1 pandemic.

‘I want to thank principals, teachers, school staff and managers for the conscientious and thorough way in which they’ve cooperated with the public health authorities in averting the spread of the virus.

‘It’s important now that schools continue to adopt good hand and respiratory hygiene practice.

‘I’d encourage them to continue to co-operate with the HSE as it moves to prioritise the vaccination of all children between five and 18 from next week,’ said Minister O’Keeffe.

The HSE won’t visit every school during the period of the vaccination programme.

In some cases, it may invite pupils and staff from nearby schools to get the vaccine in one school subject to the agreement of school managers locally.

In other cases, pupils and staff will be advised to get the vaccine in their local HSE mass vaccination clinic.

The practical arrangements for each school will be worked out locally by the HSE in consultation with each school.

The Department’s circular letter is available on www.education.ie.