Oct. 19, 2009

Dear Westwood Parents and Students,

I am pleased to announce that Westwood School will host the first school flu clinic in Woodbury County this Wednesday, Oct 21, 2009. We will have a two-hour late start for professional development and that will also give us time to setup the clinic. Vaccinations will begin at 10:30 when the students arrive.  There is no charge for this vaccination. Siouxland District Health Department has setup a Flu Hotline if you have questions. (712 234 3922)

It is because of your support we are first on the list for this event. A number of volunteers are needed to process this clinic on Wednesday and Westwood’s reputation for volunteer support is well known. If you would be available to volunteer at anytime during this day please call Patti Witten at 712 428 3355 to get scheduled.

ONLY THOSE STUDENTS WITH SIGNED PERMISSION SLIPS CAN GET THE VACCINATION. An extra permission slip form is attached to this handout. We have over 300 permission slips in already of our 600+ students. We will take permission slips all the way up to the clinic on Wednesday, so it is not too late. If your child is given the vaccination a certificate will be mailed home to you for your records.

We know that most of the vaccine available at this time is the nasal mist variety with a limited number of “shot” type vaccine for those that need that specific type. We hope to be able to vaccinate all students that have permission slips but that cannot be guaranteed. I regret that only our students can be vaccinated at this clinic, no school staff or community members flu needs can be addressed by the clinic personnel.

The H1N1 (Swine) flu pandemic has caused much action to ensure our children are protected. You know the actions we have already taken at school to stop the spread of germs. We greatly appreciate your efforts to keep your children home if they have a fever.

Regular flu is a serious disease in a normal year, but this H1N1 flu variety is particularly strong in attacking children. We do not know if or when we will get another such clinic at Westwood. We strongly encourage you to consult with your doctor to determine if your child should be vaccinated.

Thanks for your help!

Kirk Ahrends, Superintendent