SYRACUSE -- Ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, there are concerns about the H1N1 flu. Some health officials are worried that holiday get-togethers could wind up spreading swine flu. But many students are now protected.
They were flocking to Fowler High School Wednesday, lining up to get their shot at the vaccine. There's no shortage of students looking to stay germ-free. And thanks to a quick prick or a spray mist, students are getting protected. Kelly Dove brought her 8-year-old daughter Jacqueline to get the vaccine. She's already seen Jacqueline's friends get swine flu and doesn't want her daughter to be the next victim. "Just because of the outbreak that has happened, I wanted her to be protected as well as everybody else in our house," Dove said.
And they aren't alone. Manlius Pebble Hill junior Tim Greenwald saw his friend suffer from swine flu. And it's the last thing he wants to bring to his family reunion this Thanksgiving. "It seems to be preying on people of my age group, people with healthy immune systems, so it seemed like something I needed to do to keep myself safe," Greenwald said. And with so many families gathering over the next few days, health officials fear they could end up being a breeding ground for swine flu. And that's just what Greenwald is trying to avoid. "I'm going to see my germy little cousins, so yeah, I'd say so," he said.
School leaders hope more kids like Tim and Jacqueline come out to get vaccinated and help stop the swine flu from spreading any more than it has. "We've had a number of cases. It's dropped off a little bit the last couple of weeks, but there have probably been several hundred cases," said Dan Lowengard, Superintendent of Syracuse Schools.
City school age kids have another chance to get the shot from 5-9pm Wednesday at Corcoran High School and there are two other clinics planned. School leaders are encouraging you to sign up your kids on the school district's website. However, you can still come even if you don't pre-register.
