WBTV 3 News, Weather, Sports, and Traffic for Charlotte, NC-Students starting to get H1N1 vaccinations

Students starting to get H1N1 vaccinations

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Students at two universities in the Charlotte area and one public school system are getting the first rounds of H1N1 vaccinations today.

Approximately 4,100 H1N1 vaccines will be distributed to students at UNC Charlotte's Student Health Center on Monday. 

Student Maggie Donofril did not even have to wait in line. She made getting the vaccine a priority.

"A couple of reasons, one, it's free. It's hard to pass up that opportunity....Also, better safe than sorry," she said.

Staff and faculty will not be vaccinated at this time but they may be able to receive vaccinations in the coming weeks. 

In Center City Charlotte, students at Johnson & Wales University will able to get flu shots and H1N1 nasal spray vaccine today for the first time.

In Gaston County, students at York Chester Middle School are also lining up to get the vaccine.

The county health director says roughly one-third of students got permission from their parents to take the free vaccine.

Their goal over the next week is to hit 11 hot-spot schools where H1N1 is the worst. They'll cover more schools as supply becomes available.

Gaston County School started planning back in the summer for how to prepare the schools for vaccine. Meanwhile, in Mecklenburg County, the health department is waiting on enough doses to start going into the schools.

This afternoon, Amy Caruso with the Department of Health and Human Services, said it may be late November or December until the general public can be vaccinated.