Kathy Nelson

"Students who don't have their current shot records will not be allowed in the classroom on the first day of school," said Kathy Nelson, immunization coordinator for the Sarasota County Health Department.

Contact: Kathy Nelson

Sarasota County Health Department

P.O. Box 2658

Sarasota, FL 34230-2658

Phone: (941) 861-2914

FAX: (941) 861-2722

"We've been (immunizing) about 120 each day," Kathy Nelson, a nurse with the Sarasota County Health Department who manages the immunization program, said Thursday.
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"Every year we have people here on Monday because they haven't gotten immunized," Nelson said."It's the nature of the beast to wait until the last minute."

Some parents and students, she said, don't always think the shots are important because they rarely see evidence of the diseases.

But, she said, an increase in international travel makes getting immunized important.

Kathy Nelson, manager of the Sarasota County Health Department's immunization program, said she doesn't expect a rush to get vaccinated this year.

Her department doesn't distribute vaccine to large numbers of the general public, but does help coordinate vaccination distribution as a member of the Sarasota County Flu and Pneumonia Coalition.

Currently, the department is setting up its flu hot line, conducting presentations and Continued

"If we can get it across that there are so many more clinics provided, and there is enough vaccine, there is no sense in people stampeding to the first three clinics," said Kathy Nelson, immunization supervisor for the Sarasota County Health Department.

Serum shortages and problems with distribution forced the rescheduling of many clinics in 2000 and 2001.The public clamor for the shots last year was made worse by concerns about vaccine availability for anthrax and then smallpox, even though those health problems are unrelated to the flu.

"This is the earliest (national) flu season I recall," said Kathy Nelson, manager of Sarasota County Health Department's immunization program."Usually, it starts in late December or January, and then peaks in March or April."

Nelson, who said she's seen some flu cases in Sarasota but not on a serious level, said people should wash their hands frequently and avoid crowds inside.
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It takes at least two weeks for a vaccine to take effect, said Nelson.Vaccines are not guaranteed to completely protect a person from the flu.But a vaccinated person who gets sick won't "get it seriously," she said.

Doctors are especially concerned about a newly detected strain of the flu virus, called the Fujian strain, Nelson said.