Transylvania Public Health is partnering with Transylvania County Schools to offer flu vaccinations at county schools. Only injectable flu shots are being offered this season, and FluMist will not be offered by Transylvania Public Health for 2023-2024.

The flu can be serious, especially in young children, and can cause fever, headache, extreme tiredness and body aches. Flu is very contagious and children can be sick for a week or more, causing them to miss school.

The single best way to help prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccination each year. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that all children be vaccinated against the flu. Local medical providers support flu vaccination and are encouraging increased vaccination rates among school-aged children. The goal of this school site immunization initiative is to increase vaccination rates, prevent students from getting and spreading the flu, and ultimately reduce the burden of the flu on the community.

Flu vaccines will be offered to students in grades K-12 at school during the school day. The flu vaccine will be given by Transylvania Public Health nurses to students with a completed IMMUNIZATION PERMISSION FORM and who qualify to receive the vaccine. Transylvania Public Health will coordinate with school personnel to schedule exact dates and times, but all vaccines will be offered during the month of October.

Printed information has been distributed to schools to send home with each child, which includes the IMMUNIZATION PERMISSION FORM, a VACCINE INFORMATION SHEET for flu vaccine, and Transylvania Public Health’s PRIVACY NOTICE. This information is also available in English and Spanish at http://transylvaniahealth.org/schoolflu/.

To allow your child to be vaccinated, you must fully complete the IMMUNIZATION PERMISSION FORM and return it to your child’s school or complete the form online at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SchoolFlu2023.

The IMMUNZATION PERMISSION FORM must be returned to your child’s school or completed online by September 29, 2022.  We will be unable to vaccinate anyone without completed paperwork.

Your child may be eligible to receive flu vaccine at no cost, or we may be able to file with your insurance provider so you will have no out-of-pocket cost. For more information, see the Vaccine Cost and Billing Information on the IMMUNIZATION PERMISSION FORM.

If you have any questions about the flu vaccine or this immunization initiative, please call Transylvania Public Health at 884-3135 or contact your child’s healthcare provider.