BISD students take flu vaccinations in stride

Eleven-year-old Michelle Herrera didn’t understand what all the hype was about — getting an H1N1 vaccination. She said it wasn’t a big deal.

Two squirts of the nasal spray vaccine up her nose and she was done.

"It felt okay," said Herrera, a Stell Middle School student, adding that she wasn’t at all nervous about getting the vaccine.

Herrera was one of hundreds of Brownsville Independent School District students, accompanied by parents, who showed up Wednesday for free H1N1 flu and seasonal flu vaccines administered at the district’s Administration Building on Palm Boulevard.

The Cameron County Health Department worked in conjunction with BISD to better reach healthy school children, the target population on this day for the vaccine.

Juan Herrera, 43, Michelle’s father, after receiving a letter from BISD that free vaccinations would be available, said he wanted to make sure all his five children would receive the vaccine. He even checked with his children’s doctor to see if the H1N1 vaccine was safe. His doctor said yes.

"I wanted them to get it. It’s better to be safe than be sorry and try to prevent something from happening," Juan Herrera said, as his children were being vaccinated.

The district handed out tickets to people waiting in line, which guaranteed they would receive one or the other, the seasonal influenza or H1N1 shot. As of 5:30 p.m. the majority of the people in line had received the vaccinations, said Drue Brown, BISD spokeswoman.

"It’s been real smooth," Brown said.

Leo Lopez, the county’s epidemiologist, said he was pleased with the turnout and hoped more students would take advantage of the free vaccinations. Previous clinics were held at other school districts in the county and more are expected to be held when the county receives more dosages of the H1N1 vaccines, he said.

Lisa Castillo, 38, heard about the vaccinations through the media and didn’t think twice about getting her two sons vaccinated against the H1N1 virus.

She wanted her boys, ages 11 and 13, vaccinated to prevent them from being sick, Castillo said.

"From the looks of it the swine flu is not going away, so I’d rather have them take it (the vaccination) right now," Castillo said. She had tried getting H1N1 vaccinations at a doctor’s office for her children, but the vaccine was not was available.

After receiving the H1N1 nasal spray vaccination, 13-year-old Antonio Castillo said it felt like something "gooey" going up his nose.

Although 9-year-old Maria Garcia was a little nervous about getting the vaccination, once it was done she didn’t have much to say. Garcia, a fourth-grade student at Martin Elementary, also was undecided if she would take the vaccination a second time if asked.

School districts in Harlingen, San Benito, Los Fresnos, La Feria, Point Isabel, Santa Rosa and Santa Maria administered vaccinations earlier this week.