Shoo the Flu, School-located Influenza Vaccination Program Oakland CA

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) has an array of programs and services designed to protect the health and safety of County residents. Since 2014, ACPHD’s school-located influenza vaccination (SLIV) program, Shoo the Flu, has provided approximately 37,500 free influenza vaccines to students and adults in Oakland-area schools. Influenza (“the flu”) is an annual threat to the health of children and their families. Each year, millions of children get sick with seasonal influenza, an illness more dangerous than the common cold. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older get an annual flu vaccine. However, in the Bay Area, less than half of children aged 5 -11 years reported being vaccinated in 2015-2016. STF’s objective is to reach all Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) schools plus surrounding charter, private, and Catholic schools to provide free flu vaccines for students and adults regardless of insurance. We expect our efforts will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of Bay Area residents and positively influence public policy, emergency preparedness response, mass-vaccination efforts within a diverse community, and the science of influenza.