Friday, September 18, 2020

Pasco County Schools is partnering with Health Hero Florida to provide NO COST flu vaccine to students with parental consent from October 5 – 9. The Centers for Disease Control recommends use of injectable influenza vaccine only; the nasal spray flu vaccine ("flu mist”) is not available and will not be administered. Qualified Health Hero Florida professionals will ONLY administer the injectable influenza vaccine.

Consent forms will be sent home by your child’s school and are available below. In order for your child to receive the flu vaccine shot during their scheduled clinic day parents must complete and sign the consent form and return it to the school. If the form is incomplete or unsigned your child will not receive the flu vaccine. Since this is a voluntary service, if you do not want your child to receive this vaccine, please DO NOT complete the consent form.

The flu shots will be available to students attending school in the Traditional bricks and mortar learning model. It will not be available to students attending school remotely (mySchool Online and Pasco eSchool) due to logistical issues.  Parent of students attending remotely can go to the Health Department for FREE flu vaccine for any child under the age of 19.

Please see the schedule below to find out the date for your child’s flu vaccine clinic. Consent forms are also available below in English and in Spanish. These can be printed out, completed, signed and returned to the school. For more information, please visit HealthHeroFlorida.com

Testing Sites

Date	School
7-Oct	Achieve Center of Pasco
6-Oct	Anclote Elementary
6-Oct	Anclote High
6-Oct	Bayonet Point Middle
6-Oct	Bexley Elementary
5-Oct	Calusa Elementary
8-Oct	Centennial Elementary
8-Oct	Centennial Middle School
6-Oct	Charles S. Rushe Middle School
5-Oct	Chasco Elementary
5-Oct	Chasco Middle
8-Oct	Chester W. Taylor Elementary
7-Oct	Connerton Elementary
6-Oct	Cotee River Elementary
5-Oct	Crews Lake Middle
7-Oct	Cypress Creek High
7-Oct	Cypress Creek Middle
5-Oct	Cypress Elementary
6-Oct	Deer Park Elementary
7-Oct	Denham Oaks Elementary
8-Oct	Double Branch Elementary
5-Oct	Fivay High
5-Oct	Fox Hollow Elementary
6-Oct	Gulf High
5-Oct	Gulf Highlands Elementary
5-Oct	Gulf Middle
6-Oct	Gulf Trace Elementary
6-Oct	Gulfside Elementary
6-Oct	Harry Schwettman EC
5-Oct	Hudson High
5-Oct	Hudson Middle
6-Oct	J.W Mitchell High
8-Oct	James Irvin EC
6-Oct	James Marlowe Elementary
7-Oct	John Long Middle School
8-Oct	Lachoochee Elementary
7-Oct	Lake Myrtle Elementary
7-Oct	Land O' Lakes High
6-Oct	Longleaf Elementary
6-Oct	Marchman Technical College
5-Oct	Mary Giella Elementary
6-Oct	Mittye P. Locke Elementary
5-Oct	Moon Lake Elementary
8-Oct	New River Elementary
5-Oct	Northwest Elementary
7-Oct	Oakstead Elementary
6-Oct	Odessa Elementary
8-Oct	Pasco Elementary
8-Oct	Pasco High
8-Oct	Pasco Middle
6-Oct	Paul R. Smith Middle
7-Oct	Pine View Elementary
7-Oct	Pine View Middle
7-Oct	Quail Hollow Elementary
8-Oct	Raymond B. Stewart Middle School
5-Oct	Richey Elementary
5-Oct	River Ridge High
5-Oct	River Ridge Middle
8-Oct	Rodney B. Cox Elementary
8-Oct	San Antonio Elementary
7-Oct	Sand Pine Elementary
7-Oct	Sanders Memorial Elementary
5-Oct	Schrader Elementary
8-Oct	Seven Oaks Elementary
6-Oct	Seven Springs Elementary
6-Oct	Seven Springs Middle
5-Oct	Shady Hills Elementary
6-Oct	Sunlake High
6-Oct	Sunray Elementary
7-Oct	Thomas E. Weightman Middle
6-Oct	Trinity Elementary
7-Oct	Trinity Oaks Elementary
7-Oct	Veterans Elementary
8-Oct	Watergrass Elementary
5-Oct	Wendell Krill Technical
7-Oct	Wesley Chapel Elementary
7-Oct	Wesley Chapel High
8-Oct	West Zephyrhills Elementary
7-Oct	Wiregrass Ranch Elementary
7-Oct	Wiregrass Ranch High
8-Oct	Woodland Elementary
8-Oct	Zephyrhills High

General Information

The Florida Department of Health has provided specific guidance for parents (see letter here) as influenza or flu is now widespread across our state. Symptoms of the flu often include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headaches, or fatigue. The single best way to protect against seasonal flu and its potential severe complications is for children to get a seasonal influenza vaccine each year. Antiviral medication for flu has been shown to reduce severity and length of disease, and decrease the risk of complications from influenza. Making healthy choices at school and at home can help prevent the flu and keep it from spreading to others. Children, parents, and staff should take the following everyday preventive actions (see here):

• Stay home when you are sick and keep your child with flu symptoms home from school. Children must not return to school for at least 24 hours after their symptoms have disappeared.
• Contact your health care provider if you or your child are experiencing flu-like symptoms.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer. Cover your sneezes or coughs with tissue or your elbow and avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school.

For more information, please visit https://cdc.gov/flu/parents/index.htm