LIHU‘E — Normally, we would be in a school setting, said Toni Torres, the Public Health Nurse Supervisor from the Kaua‘i District Health Office on the first day of the Stop Flu At School (SFAS) clinic operating out of the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall yesterday.
But the novel coronavirus pandemic limited the public schools to distance learning, and to accommodate the more than 1,000 students who consented to the flu vaccine, the SFAS clinics were established, starting its operations to coincide with the first day of the inter-session fall break.
The Stop Flu at School is an innovative partnership between the State of Hawai‘i Departments of Health and Education geared to improve the health of Hawai‘i’s keiki, families, and kupuna through the prevention of the spread of influenza, or flu, through vaccination.
“We’ve had 100% participation in the 15-minute break following the shot,” said Torres. “The break is a monitoring period where people can sit and relax in the coolness of the convention hall theatre. This monitoring period — most places just give you the shot and send you on your way — is something the Kaua‘i District Health Office does. And with that heat outside, no one has opted out of the break.”
The Hawai‘i Department of Health is encouraging everyone to get a flu shot, especially during this COVID-19 pandemic.
Symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue, and somethings vomiting and diarrhea — similar to symptoms observed with COVID-19.
“Flu vaccines will not prevent COVID-19, but they will reduce the burden of flu illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths on the health care system,” DOH Immunization Branch Chief Ron Balajadia said. “Getting your flu shot also helps to conserve scarce medical resources for the care of people with COVID-19.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending a yearly flu vaccine for all individuals who are over 6 months of age. Vaccination of high-risk persons, including young children, pregnant women, persons 65 years of age and older, and people with certain chronic health conditions, is important to decrease the risk of severe flu illness.
The SFAS clinic at the convention hall will be available Monday through Friday from 1 to 6 p.m. through Oct. 30. Additionally, a SFAS clinic will be offered at the Kilauea Neighborhood Center on Oct. 17 from 9 a.m. to noon.
Appointments must be made for the clinics by calling 241-3410 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays through Fridays.
“It’s important that people honor their appointments,” Torres said. “We have a SFAS clinic set for the Hanapepe Neighborhood Center on Oct. 24. Appointments for the original 9 a.m. to noon schedule is full, and we extended the hours to 4 p.m. That is filled, and we’re still trying to figure out how to accommodate those who don’t have appointments.”
The Stop Flu at School is endorsed by the Hawai‘i Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Hawai‘i Association of Family Practitioners.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
