Delaware’s schools are starting to sign up their students to receive Swine Flu vaccines.  The schools don’t actually have vaccines in stock yet.  (I’m sure the newspaper headlines will inform us when school vaccines are delivered!)  But the schools are getting a jump on the paper work, making lists and getting parent’s permission to administer the vaccine when it is delivered.

Should you sign your child up?  Yes!   If the school is ready to give your child a flu vaccine, I recommend that you participate.   We expect to have the vaccine in stock also, but I don’t know when it will be delivered.  If you’d prefer that we administer it instead of your school’s nurse, we’ll be happy to help.  (I’ll post a note on the blog when we get it in!)

The Swine Flu nasal vaccine probably will be delivered before the injections.  The live nasal flu vaccines are perfectly appropriate for any child over 2 years old, if they don’t have asthma (severe enough to have 4 attacks a year or more, or needing daily asthma medication.)

–  David Epstein, MD