Mass H1N1 shots in public schools urged

PHOENIX — State health officials are urging counties to conduct mass vaccinations at public schools in an effort to get as many children inoculated against the novel H1N1 flu as possible.
But they won't force the vaccines on anyone.
Will Humble, acting director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, said the goal is to get the vaccine to close to 80 percent of school-age children. At that point, he said, their immunity will help protect the others who are not vaccinated.
But Humble told members of the House and Senate Health committees on Thursday that the vaccination rate for the regular seasonal flu — the only other comparison he has — is closer to 20 percent.
Pima County Health Department spokeswoman Patti Woodcock said Thursday that she's not aware of any plans to hold H1N1 vaccinations in local schools.
Humble reassured lawmakers that no one who doesn't want the inoculations against what has become more commonly known as the swine flu is going to be forced to get it.
"I have absolutely no intention of making this vaccine mandatory in any way, shape or form, whether it's for school entry or otherwise," he said. "It's going to be strictly voluntary.' "
More to the point, Humble said school-based clinics will be legally precluded from giving the vaccine to any youngster absent a signed permission slip from a parent or guardian.
That still left state Sen. Thayer Verschoor, R-Gilbert, uncomfortable.
"I know you say you're not going to do that," he said. "But when you start seeing these children dying, that changes the dynamics."
Humble acknowledged that the governor does have certain powers in a "state of emergency." But he said he doubts that could be legally triggered, even if 50 percent to 60 percent of Arizonans became infected.
He also said a mandate would only make the public suspicious that there's something wrong with the vaccine. Instead, Humble said, he hopes to educate people as to why they should get inoculated.
Anyway, Humble said, there won't be enough vaccine available to inoculate everyone.
While that comforted some lawmakers, the possibility that a large number of children will be without protection concerned Rep. Phil Lopes, D-Tucson.
"You have to get to a certain level, do you not, in order for the 'herd immunity' concept to take place?" he asked. Lopes worried that enough parents would refuse the shots for their children, to the point that it would help spread the disease.
Humble said he is not spending a lot of time trying to reach any particular immunization level, but rather focusing on making information available "so that parents can make responsible decisions that they believe are appropriate for their families."
"We're hoping most families will decide to get their children vaccinated because, No. 1, it will protect their individual family," he said. "But it also has, as you said, an added bonus in that it has a community effect if you can get the vaccination threshold into the 70-80 percent range."
Lopes said, though, that goal is being undermined by what he said is irresponsible information on the World Wide Web claiming the vaccine is dangerous.
"Is it a pipe dream to think we can get 80 percent if we're at 20 now?" Lopes asked. He said he is getting e-mails from parents who are "scared as hell about this and don't want to do it."
Maricopa County Health Director Bob England said it will depend a lot on what is being reported in the media.
He said that if there are lots of stories about "extremely rare side effects" of a similar vaccine from 33 years ago, then people will avoid the shots.
"If, in the media, there are stories about the children who are dying from this, then it will flip the exact opposite way and people will demand the vaccine."
Rep. Nancy Barto, R-Phoenix, said there are questions about the effects of the preservative in the vaccine. Some people have said there's a link between autism and the preservative, which contains mercury.
Humble said there is an alternative for those who are concerned. He said that while most vaccines are delivered in 10-dose vials, which require preservatives, there are single-dose syringes also available that do not need the extra chemicals.
"As for me, I wouldn't care if my kid got the vial or the pre-filled syringes because I'm confident that the amount of preservative in the vial is negligible," he said.
But there are parents "who might be concerned about that,'' Humble said. "To overcome those objections, the pre-filled syringes are available. Either way, they get immunity."
Humble said, though, he is sure that some parents will still come up with other objections.
"Our job is to overcome as many barriers as we can and really speak as clearly as we can about the safety of the vaccine," he said. "But, ultimately, it's parents on their own that make those decisions for their families."
England said one reason for concentrating on inoculating children is that it appears many adults have some immunity from this virus based on their exposure to a strain that went around about 50 years ago.