Floyd County Schools and the Floyd County Health Department have teamed-up to reduce the affects of the flu on school children and the community this flu season.  The Floyd County Health Department has traveled to each school in the system to assist local school nurses in giving the Influenza Vaccine to children in Floyd County Schools. 

School nurses administered 1371 shots to staff and students during the months of October and November.  937 students, 365 staff members and 70 family members of staff and students received the flu shots during the program.  “As a school system, we were significantly impacted by student absences due to the flu last year,” said Dr. Lynn Plunkett, interim superintendent of Floyd County Schools. “We trust this immunization program will give our students and our schools a better chance to reduce the affects of the flu this year.”

The immunization program was the idea of retired Floyd County Schools Superintendent Kelly Henson.  The concept was to make immunizations easily accessible to our students and more affordable to families.  The school system would make space available and communicate the opportunity to students and parents and the health department would provided the Influenza Vaccine at a reduced cost and administer the shots to those interested. 

Floyd County Schools sent information home with students offering the vaccine to parents of students in the school system.  Only students returning signed forms with parent approval would receive the shots.  “We were pleased with the number of students returning the forms to get the shots in this initial offering,” stated Kelly Henson.  “We hope to be able to offer this opportunity on a regular basis and that our participation will grow in subsequent years.”    

Registered nurses with public health serving as school nurses at each school administered the Influenza Vaccine at a reduced cost of $11 for each person receiving the vaccine.  Representatives of the health department traveled to schools over the two month period to assist the school nurses in administering the vaccine to students.  “The students handled the shots very well,” said Judie Fellers RN, Public Health Nurse Coordinator. “We had very few students to cry during our visits to schools.”  The health department was also pleased with the first year’s response.  Fellers said, “I am very please with the number of vaccines administered to students in this initial year of the program.”