KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Students in at least two states were given the H1N1 vaccine at their elementary school even though their parents say they didn't sign the consent form.
While health departments in both Ohio and New York try to get to the bottom of the mistakes, health officials in the metro are doing all they can to make sure it doesn't happen here.
Right now, metro schools aren't distributing the shot or the flu mist because the supply simply isn't there. The other issue is one of the priority groups has changed: the 6 mos to 24-year-old group.
While supply is limited, that group now covers 6 mos to four-year-olds and five-year-olds to 18-year-olds with underlying health problems.
Johnson County Health officials say it could be weeks before schools start to vaccinate on campus. Jeff Hershberger with the Kansas City Health Department says the same is likely true in the Missouri side. And once they do, who gets the vaccine first will depend on supply. If the supply is limited, the smaller schools will go first.
He's optimistic schools in the metro will avoid the mistakes seen in other states. The Kansas City Health Department has been working with schools for months to make sure the consent form issue is crystal clear. Also health officials are underlining the importance of getting the most up-to-date medical information from students (literally from that day).
Hershberger hopes the mistakes elsewhere will teach an important lesson.
"That really illustrates the importance of communication between the health department and the school districts to make sure these forms are present, it is so important that we have information, parents consent and we know the medical conditions... to know it is safe," said Hershberger.
