State offers to help schools give shots free

The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Friday urged school districts to work with it to ensure swine flu vaccinations are provided to as many students as possible -- without any cost to parents.

The message came less than 24 hours after some parents questioned why their school districts had contracted with private companies that charge administration fees of $15 to $20 per vaccination, when the vaccine and all supplies were provided free by the state.

The South Middleton, Mechanicsburg and Camp Hill school districts had contracted with Georgia-based Care Dynamix, which does business as Flu Busters.

The Visiting Nurse Association Health System had been scheduled to handle clinics at the Susquehanna Twp. School District, but the Monday and Tuesday shot clinics were canceled late Friday because the vaccine had not arrived.

Camp Hill resident Brian Stever, a registered nurse, said he reached out to the Camp Hill Middle School to volunteer his services as a vaccination administrator. He received a call a day later stating the district would be going with Flu Busters.

When he learned the shot could be given for free, he said he was dumb-founded. He has three children, two of whom would be eligible for the vaccine. And although payments wouldn't be hardship for his family, he knew some families couldn't afford the cost.

"Why isn't Camp Hill and every other school district [considering a third-party provider] going to the state?" he said.

He's worked with the Health Department on numerous occasions for his job, he said, and in his experience, if the department has written something down, such as an offer of help in a program, it doesn't go back on its word.

The Health Department's offer had immediate results. By 1 p.m., South Middleton issued a press release saying that because of the governor's request, the district would no longer charge a fee to students receiving the vaccine.

Parents who already paid will be reimbursed, though the district did not provide further information on how that will happen.

CONTINUED 1 | 2 Next