The manamko’ are considered a high priority group, Public Health immunization program manager Jeremy T. Sasamoto said.
By Wednesday next week, Public Health will start giving flu shots in schools. Afterward, the free flu shots will be made available to the general public, Sasamoto said.
But the Commonwealth Health Center can always accommodate walk-in community members who want to get flu shot, he added.
Today, Public Health will start giving consent forms to parents for the vaccination of their children.
Sasamoto said they will strongly intensify their education campaign on flu vaccination in schools this year.
He reminded parents about Public Law 6-10 which mandates parents to have their children, upon enrollment, receive all of the immunizations recommended by Public Health.
Failure to comply will be grounds for the suspension of the child from school until immunization standards have been met.
The immunization program at the Aging Center started at 10 a.m. after program coordinator Walter Manglona discussed with the congregates why they should get the vaccine.
Aging Office Director Rose Mondala also encouraged the congregates and her staff to get vaccinated.
Sasamoto was accompanied by Gloria Ramon, immunization response coordinator; CHC staff nurse Laurina Boyer; community outreach worker Jeffrey Sablan; and the Northern Marianas College nursing department staff led by Johnny Aldan, nursing instructor Hervin Jacinto and nursing students Wanda Sotomayor, Brittany Conception, Carina Train, Nisha Shrestha and Vachinaport Ngamwong-Bagby.
Senior citizen Benita Cepeda said she felt good after getting the flu shot.
She said she always gets the shot every year.
Sasamoto said they have 16,000 doses of seasonal flu vaccine from the 19,500 they are expected to get from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Department of Defense will also send additional 6,000 doses, he added.
Before the end of December, Public Health is expected to wrap up the immunization program, he said.
He said certain groups of individuals have an increased risk of developing complications from the flu and are considered “high priority” for getting vaccinated.
Besides the manamko’, these include children between 6 months and 4 years old; those suffering from chronic diseases such as people on dialysis and those with asthma, diabetes, heart failure, etc.; healthcare personnel; those who care for the very young, very old and/or the very sick; pregnant women; and individuals who are morbidly obese.
For more information, call 236-8745, 236-8780 or 236-8781 on Saipan, 433-9233 on Tinian, or 532-9457 on Rota.
