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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt"><FONT face=Calibri>For Immediate Release<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face=Calibri size=3>October 14, 2009</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align=right><FONT face=Calibri size=3>Contact: Geni Alexander, Public Information Officer</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: right" align=right><FONT face=Calibri size=3>573.874.7632 or </FONT><A href="mailto:gaalexan@GoColumbiaMo.com"><FONT face=Calibri size=3>gaalexan@GoColumbiaMo.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Calibri size=3> </FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><FONT size=3><FONT face=Calibri>Health Department H1N1 Planning Includes Free H1N1 Vaccinations in Schools<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></I></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><BR><FONT face=Calibri size=3>The Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services, in cooperation with our public and private schools, plans to offer free H1N1 vaccine to school-aged children in Boone County. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all children between the ages of 6 months and 24 years of age be vaccinated. By offering free vaccinations in school, the health department hopes to remove barriers some parents face in vaccinating their children and reduce the spread of disease in the community. </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri size=3>Parents who wish to have their child vaccinated in school will be asked to fill out a consent form. When the health department receives enough vaccine to begin the school-based vaccinations, dates will be set and parents will be notified of those dates. The health department has hired additional nurses to assist with the voluntary school-based vaccinations.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><FONT face=Calibri size=3>Some physicians in Boone County have agreed to offer the H1N1 vaccine to their patients. Anyone wishing to receive the H1N1 vaccine from their physician should contact them directly for vaccine availability. For more information about the flu, please visit </FONT><A href="http://www.fighttheflumo.com/"><FONT face=Calibri size=3>www.FightTheFluMO.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Calibri size=3> or the school district’s flu page at <SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma"><A href="http://www.columbia.k12.mo.us/fluinfo.php">www.columbia.k12.mo.us/fluinfo.php</A></SPAN>. </FONT></P>
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