TERRE HAUTE —
Community health officials kept the gym doors open Saturday, administering free shots to local school children and staff.
Joni Wise, Vigo County Health Department administrator, said Saturday about 300 chickenpox vaccines were given to students and staff of the Vigo County School Corp. as part of a mass clinic. Friday, 394 shots were given. Those totals fell short of the goal hoped for, she said.
“Attendance was down. It didn’t meet the expectation or the need to have children vaccinated against chickenpox,” she said just before the 3 p.m. close.
A coalition of health care workers joined forces inside the gym at Terre Haute South Vigo High School between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. County Health Commissioner Enrico Garcia declared chickenpox to be in outbreak status last week. Beginning Tuesday, all school corporation staff born after 1980, and any student not optimally immunized, will be excluded from the facilities 21 days from the last documented case at school per state Department of Health regulations.
Wise said her department used census data to determine potential need and came prepared to dispense up to 5,000 doses.
“We had over half a million dollars worth of vaccine here,” she said, adding no more mass clinics are planned for the remainder of the year. Students and staff not optimally immunized need to check with their doctor, she said.
Optimal immunization means if an individual has had one dose, they need a second. If they haven’t been immunized, they need at least one, she explained.
Chickenpox is a vaccine-preventable disease and should be taken seriously, Wise pointed out.
Most people wouldn’t dismiss the need for measles or mumps vaccinations, nor should they simply ignore chickenpox, she said.
Saturday’s participants spanned a wide range of demographics, from small children to adults. Student nurses from Indiana State University and Ivy Tech Community College participated, as well as volunteers from emergency management agencies and the local business community.
Wise credited the collaborative effort as very efficient with minimal wait times for those receiving vaccines.
Jennifer Lucas from the Indiana State Department of Health, likewise said the multiple agencies all worked well together, from school personnel to volunteers.
“Overall, I think the clinic went very well,” she said.
Vigo County Schools official Mic Newport credited the school nurses as well as the numerous volunteers who participated. The schools have no choice but to comply with the state directive regarding potential exclusion of those refusing to get vaccines, he said.
Last week, the school district anticipated up to 1,000 students who were under-vaccinated or not vaccinated at all, as well as 276 staff. Newport pointed out many of them could have already been vaccinated at their family doctor by now though.
“And hopefully they’ll all be OK to return to school and work,” he said of Tuesday’s deadline.
ISU nursing student Bailey Luce was among those participating in the mass clinic. As a senior, she’d administered a few vaccines at past programs, but Saturday gave her the chance to perform about 30.
“I thought it was a very good experience,” she said. “I felt like I was really helping the community.”
Brian Boyce can be reached at 812-231-4253 or brian.boyce@tribstar.com.
Local & Bistate
Related Photos
-
Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza Glad that's over with: Caleb Klapko breathes a sigh of relief after his chickenpox vaccination Saturday at Terre Haute South High School.
-
Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza Smile right through it: Eleven-year-old David Brown smiles as he receives a chickenpox vaccination from Kevin Elizabeth Rowe, R.N., Saturday at Terre Haute South High School.
-
Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza Poker face: Ten-year-old Kaleb Klapko does his best to show no emotion as he receives a chickenpox vaccination Saturday at Terre Haute South High School.
-
Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza A spot for a shot: Indiana State University nursing student Jeremy Headlee prepares Chance Holst's arm for a vaccination Saturday during the chickenpox immunization clinic at Terre Haute South High School.
Discussion
Chickenpox clinic totals fall short of goal
- Local & Bistate
-
-
Youth gets ride of a life
“He’ll just never forget this day,” Stacey Manley said, a little bit tearfully, as she watched her smiling 6-year-old son Carter sitting happily in the captain’s seat of Fire Engine 2.
-
Casey aims for another record
The town of Casey, Ill., may soon weave its way into the record books as the small town with the most world records.
-
Rose projects boost to rehab efforts
Life changed dramatically for college engineering student Drew Christy on Feb. 22, 2008 when he was involved in an auto accident and suffered a traumatic brain injury.
-
‘500’ gas stations being sold to Speedway LLC
After several decades in business, the area’s familiar “500” gasoline stations and convenience stores will soon be missing from the roadsides of Vigo and Sullivan counties.
-
Terre Haute woman faces 14 charges
A Terre Haute woman faces 14 criminal counts after her arrest Friday on drug-related charges.
-
Two adults injured in ATV accident
Two adults were injured Sunday evening while riding an all-terrain vehicle near Lexington Farms Subdivision off Moyer Drive in southern Vigo County.
-
Vigo schools’ medical claims down more than $10M
The Vigo County School Corp.’s medical claims were about $13 million over the last 12 months, down 4 percent from the prior year, said Diane Titchenell, an Anthem account manager that works with the school district.
-
2013 Government Directory now available
The 2013 Government Directory is now available.
-
UPDATE: 5 killed, 6 injured in I-70 van crash in Illinois
ST. LOUIS — A van carrying church members returning from a California gathering careened off of a southern Illinois freeway and overturned several times today, killing five people and sending six others to hospitals, authorities said.
-
2 children reported dead from Indianapolis fire
INDIANAPOLIS — Authorities say some autistic children lived in the Indianapolis condominium unit where a fire has killed two children.
-
Tighter Indiana drunken driving law seems unlikely
INDIANAPOLIS — Some key Indiana legislators say it’s unlikely that the state will any time soon go along with a federal safety board’s recommendation that the threshold for drunken driving be cut nearly in half.
-
Vigo County Jail Log: May 20, 2013
The following individuals were booked into the Vigo County Jail by area law enforcement on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, based on jail records.
-
Life-Size Ping Pong: Valley pickleball tourney draws large crowd to Brittlebank Park
It’s been described as “ping pong on steroids.”
Some people call it “life-size ping pong where you stand on the table.” -
Boat trip aims to raise awareness about Lewy Body Dementia
In 2013, the Year of the River, it makes sense to link a grand adventure on the Wabash River with a good cause.
-
Legislature had little taste for alcohol bills
When it comes to alcohol, the 2013 legislative session may be marked more by what it didn’t do to boost booze sales than what it did.
-
STATE OF THE STATEHOUSE: Is it regulation that doesn’t make sense or evening the playing field?
I’m not much of a drinker, so I haven’t spent much time thinking about how Indiana’s alcohol laws personally impact me, but that changed last fall when my daughter got married.
-
RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS: April 29-May 3
The Vigo County Health Department inspected the following food establishments April 29-May 3:
-
For Piper: Annual ‘Rush the Punter’ event dedicated to Dixie Bee student who died Wednesday after a short illness
Steve Weatherford’s “Rush the Punter” fundraiser at Fairbanks Park on Saturday was dedicated to a little girl who lost her life unexpectedly to pneumonia.
-
Vigo schools prepare to tighten belts
State funding for the Vigo County School Corp. will remain “pretty flat” for the next two years, said Donna Wilson, chief financial officer.
-
Veterans take to the trees
Cristal Bednar took photos of her husband, Justin, as he laboriously climbed his way up a “Dangle-Duo” to get to a zipline at Indiana State University’s Sycamore Outdoor Center.
-
Property owner seeks halt to Hulman Lake dam project
A Terre Haute property owner is seeking an injunction that would at least temporarily halt the city’s work on the Hulman Lake dam project.
-
Tornado veterans balance preparedness, practicality
Few things in nature are less predictable than a tornado. They can form quickly. They strike weirdly, leveling one building while leaving its neighbor untouched. They can fling a car a half-mile and turn a piece of lumber into a wall-piercing missile.
-
ISU unveils interactive Bayh Family Legacy Wall at school
A who’s who of Indiana Democrats paid tribute to Evan Bayh and several generations of the Bayh family Friday during a dedication of a new interactive display at Indiana State University.
-
Can you smell me now?
A contraband cell phone has been discovered by the Vigo County Jail’s youngest and most unique officer.
-
GIVING BACK: Steve Weatherford buys shoes for kids day before charity run
Terre Haute’s Steve Weatherford, punter for the 2012 Super Bowl champion New York Giants, showed once again his generosity Friday by donating new athletic shoes to more than two dozen Vigo County kids.
-
N.Y. Giants honor Weatherford as ‘Man of the Year’
Dan Tanoos, superintendent of Vigo County schools, remembers the first time he saw Steve Weatherford as a freshman at Terre Haute North Vigo High School.
-
Sunday recital at The Woods
A recital featuring songs from well-known composers is at 7 p.m. Sunday in the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
-
Police investigating rash of car window shootings
Terre Haute Police are investigating a rash of shootings that have shattered car windows throughout the city.
-
City hospitals get passing grades for patient safety
Two Terre Haute hospitals have been ranked for patient safety by an independent organization that assesses safety, quality and affordability of healthcare for Americans.
-
Three from Operation Turn and Burn sentenced in federal court
Three co-conspirators in a Wabash Valley methamphetamine trafficking ring were sentenced this week to several years in federal prison.
- More Local & Bistate Headlines
-
Raw: Tornado on the Ground in Oklahoma
Raw: Aftermath of Massive Tornado in Oklahoma
Raw: Rescue Workers Search Oklahoma School
Raw: House Burns After Massive Oklahoma Tornado
Raw: Walking in a Flattened Okla. Neighborhood
Raw: Witness Describes Scene After Okla. Tornado
Split-second Choice Ended With NY Student Dead
White House Backs 'Shield Law' for Media
RAW: TV Staff Take Cover From Tornado
Raw: Swarm of Tornadoes Slams Plains
Raw: Suspects Butt Dial 911, Lead to Arrest
Oklahoma Gov: 'Hearts Are Broken' After Tornado
Tornadoes, Storms Strike Midwest
Raw: Okla. Tornado Aftermath 'Like War Zone'
Raw: Rescuers Pull Tornado Survivors to Safety
Commuters Face Delays After Conn. Train Accident
Pug Life on Display at Wisconsin Festival
Analyst: Tumblr Fills Void in Yahoo's Offerings
'Babyland': Camp Lejeune's Toxic Legacy?
Fatal Hot Air Balloon Accident in Turkey
RAW: Moore, OK tornado touches down near school
Okla. tornado survivor finds dog buried alive under rubble
Robert Pattinson Moves Out
RAW: Russian dash cam catches car 20 feet in the air
Oklahoma tornado survivor: "Everything is gone"
Khloe Lashes Out at Kim Kardashian's Critics
Couple Argues As Woman's Lover Crawls Out Window
RAW: Brad Paisley Forgets Lyrics To His Own Song
Justin Bieber Gets Booed
New 'Anchorman 2' Trailer, Drake Joins List of Rumored Cameos
Eva Longoria's Wardrobe Malfunction
Heat Star Dwyane Wade Surprises Coral Gables Teen At Prom
Steak n' Shake waitress scores huge tip
Singer Miguel Accidentally Lands on Fan At Billboard Music Awards
Celebs Celebrate the Rise of the Side Butt
Grizzly bear gets up close and personal with camera
Justin Bieber Gets Booed After Winning at the Billboard Awards
Singer forgets lyrics, makes up words to National Anthem
