Dist. 25 students will roll up sleeves today

Students at elementary schools in Arlington Heights will receive vaccinations for H1N1 influenza today.

All nine schools in Arlington Heights Elementary District 25 will have vaccination clinics, Superintendent Sarah Jerome said Thursday. Approximately 60 percent of the students are expected to opt for the vaccines, said Betty Womack, director of student services for the district.

Private elementary schools in the 60004 and 60005 ZIP codes will also have clinics Friday.

Each District 25 school has posted a letter to parents on the district's Web site, sd25.org. Administrators encourage parents to be present when the children are vaccinated. Only students who bring specific H1N1 permission slips, have them on file or whose parents bring them at the time of vaccination will receive the shots or nasal mist.

Every home with district students was notified by telephone, packets with information and forms were sent home, and parents were asked to check the Web site every day for updates, Womack said. Four schools had planned to give some vaccines after 3 p.m., but Womack was informed Thursday that the clinics must end at 3 p.m. so they had to rearrange their schedules.

Only current students and staff members who are in high-priority groups are eligible for this vaccination clinic according to standards set by the county health department, said Womack.

Other residents who are in high-priority groups can call the Cook County Department of Public Health to make an appointment or attend Saturday clinics starting Saturday, Nov. 14. The other dates are Nov. 21, Dec. 5 and Dec. 12.

Only 400 people at each site will receive vaccinations on each Saturday. One of the sites is Vista Health Center of Cook County, 1585 N. Rand Road, Palatine. The others are in Cicero, Ford Heights and Robbins. Starting at 7 a.m. each Saturday, 400 tickets will be handed out on a first- come, first-served basis. Each ticket will specify a time for the holder to get a vaccine between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. that same day. For information call (708) 492-2828.

For vaccinations by appointment, suburban residents in high-priority groups can call any of five numbers: (708) 836-8600, (847) 818-2860, (708) 786-4000, (708) 974-6160 or (708) 210-4500. Sometimes there are long waits to get through.

Information is online at cookcountypublichealth.org.