NSTU wants H1N1 vaccine clinics in schools

HALIFAX , Oct. 30 /CNW/ - The Nova Scotia Teachers Union is urging the Nova Scotia Department of Health Promotion and Protection to administer the H1N1 vaccine to students and teachers while they are at school.

"Students and teachers are on the front line of this pandemic, and yet schools seem to have been left out of the H1N1 vaccination planning," says Alexis Allen , NSTU President. "Schools are an ideal venue for vaccinating our children and their teachers, instead of having them line up for hours before and after school at public arenas and community centres."

Many schools across the province are already seeing increased rates of absenteeism since the second wave of the H1N1 virus hit Nova Scotia this fall. With the first public vaccination sites already swamped and turning people away, Allen says vaccinating children and teachers at school is the logical next step.

"One of our main roles as teachers is to advocate on behalf of our students, and right now the best way to do that is to ensure they receive the H1N1 vaccine," says Allen. "Giving them the vaccine at school would not only ensure that they receive it; it would also cut down on lineups at the public vaccination sites and eliminate the need for parents to take their children out of school to get the vaccine."

The Nova Scotia Teachers Union represents some 10,900 public school teachers, Community College faculty and professional support employees.

For further information: Angela Murray, NSTU PR Coordinator, [phone] (cell) [phone], [email protected]