Local Schools To Play Bigger Role In H1N1 Vaccination Plans

A mass flu vaccination clinic at a high school in Alexandria could be the model for how public health departments deal with the H1N1 virus.

Chris Gutierrez, a teacher in the Alexandria School District, knows firsthand how fast the flu can spread inside walls of a school. That's why she's getting her seasonal shot this year.

"The first couple years I was teaching I was in bed more than I was in the classroom," said Gutierrez.

Also on hand at a mass vaccination at T.C. Williams High School was Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. She says she expects schools to play an even bigger role in public health when the H1N1 vaccine becomes available in a few weeks.

"We anticipate that more schools will get involved as vaccination points across the country, because H1N1 is targeting a younger population," said Sebelius .

Sebelius also says that clinical tests now show the H1N1 vaccine will be effective for adults after just one dose.

Jonathan Wilson reports...