Western Health will be testing its mass vaccination capabilities as part of Ocean Guardian III and its own emergency preparedness. Just under three hundred Grade 9 students will be vaccinated tomorrow as part of their regularly scheduled immunization schedule.
“This exercise provided us an opportunity to gauge our ability to launch a mass vaccination program in the event of an infectious disease outbreak”, said Dr. Greg Mercer, Regional Medical Officer of Health. “We were motivated to launch this effort to prepare for an influenza pandemic.”
The students will be receiving their Grade 9 tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis vaccine from Western Health’s Public Health Nurses in the usual manner with the normal safety precautions in place. The major difference is that all students will be done in one day as opposed to class by class over a number of weeks.
Western Health acknowledges the support and co-operation of Western Newfoundland and Labrador School District, students and parents as well as school officials to make this exercise possible.
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For more information contact:
Heidi Staeben-Simmons, Regional Director of Communications
709-637-5252