Swine flu precautions start with the young

Schools, parents prepare

By ELISABETH HULETTE and SHANTEE WOODARDS, Staff Writers

Published 08/30/09

Charlie Houley spent the day before his birthday getting stuck with a needle, but it was for a good cause.

Paul W. Gillespie — The Capital Annapolis Pediatric nurse Peggy Hughes administers a shot of the swine flu vaccine to 10-year-old Jack Houley of Annapolis. Jack and his brothers are working with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Annapolis Pediatrics in a trial that offers the vaccine to children in three different age groups, ranging from 6 months to 17 years old.

Charlie, now 8, was among the 24 children signed up for trials of the H1N1, or swine flu, vaccine. Through a partnership with Annapolis Pediatrics, the University of Maryland School of Medicine began administering doses there last week. The testing is being done to determine the best dose of the vaccine, as well as document any reactions.

So the Houleys signed up Charlie and his two brothers - Jack, 10 and Ethan, 11. The free trial requires five visits to the pediatric office and each time, the participating child will be...

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Alternative Prevention Method - 2009-08-30 23:26:33

Remember the vaccine could be dangerous or may not work. Emphasis needs to be placed on teaching preventative hygiene techniques, especially to young children. I know of a program that makes this task a lot easier and fun for the kids. Its called Germy Wormy Germ Smart. It teaches kids to understand how germs spread and how to NOT spread germs. My daughter learned it at pre-school. The website speaks for itself: www.germywormy.com

unhide Comment hidden due to low ranking. Why is this comment hidden?

Bree Hill - , - Karma: Neutral