H1N1 vaccination clinics coming to local schools

PROVIDENCE - Local school children will be receiving the H1N1 vaccination in state Department of Health clinics in their schools starting the first week of November, the DOH announced on its Web site.

While the order in which vaccine will be delivered to schools is fixed, the dates of clinics are subject to vaccine availability and may change slightly. For updated information, visit www.health.ri.gov .

Parents of students should have received a letter and consent form the week of Oct. 19 from the Department of Health; only children with a signed and dated consent form will be given the free shots.

Said the DOH in its announcement, "For school-aged children who do not get this vaccination in school, it will not likely be available in physicians' offices or in other clinics until late December. School district superintendents or school principals will contact parents with more information about clinics."

Here's the schedule for Cumberland schools: Nov. 5, Community School, 4-8 p.m. at Cumberland High School; Nov. 10, North Cumberland Middle School, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at NCMS; Nov. 12, B.F. Norton Elementary School, 4-8 p.m. at Cumberland High School; Nov. 17, Garvin Memorial School, 4-8 p.m. at Cumberland High School; Nov. 24, John J. McLaughlin Cumberland Hill School, 4-8 p.m. at Cumberland High School; Dec. 1, Joseph L. McCourt Middle School, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at McCourt; Dec. 1, Democracy Prep Blackstone Valley Academy, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at DPBVA; Dec. 3, Ashton Elementary School, 4-8 p.m. at Cumberland High School; Dec. 4, Cumberland High School, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at CHS; Dec. 7, Mercymount Country Day School, 4-8 p.m. at Mercymount; Dec. 14, St. Joan's Annex, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at St. Joan's.

In Lincoln, clinics are scheduled for 4-8 p.m. on: Nov. 3, at Northern Elementary School and Northern Early Learning Center; Nov. 12, at Saylesville Elementary School; Nov. 13, at Fairlawn Early Learning Center; Nov. 17, at Lincoln Central Elementary School; Nov. 30, at Lonsdale Elementary School; and during school hours on Dec. 10, at Lincoln High School, and Dec. 14 at Lincoln Middle School.