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Laredo ISD reports small rise in flu vaccinations, schedules clinics Sept. 23–Oct. 20
Summary
Laredo ISD Health Services reported a districtwide increase in flu vaccinations from 42% to 44% and detailed an in-school clinic schedule running Sept. 23–Oct. 20, aiming to reach a 50% vaccination rate at each campus.
Laredo ISD’s director of health services told the Student Services Committee on Sept. 2 that the district’s flu-vaccination rate rose districtwide from 42% to 44% over the past school year and outlined in-school clinics planned for Sept. 23 through Oct. 20.
"Our goal is always to have 50 percent of each campus vaccinated against the flu," said Ale Pena, director of health services. Pena presented a three-year comparison showing variation by campus: some elementary and middle schools declined, others remained steady or increased. Martin High rose from 45% to 54% and Nixon High recorded the largest number of students vaccinated, at about 49% for the year reported.
Pena said nurses record vaccinations given on campus and also track outside vaccinations through parental reports and the state immunization registry (ImmTrac). She said the district coordinated with the Laredo Health Department to provide two vaccination clinics at each campus this year and that Health Services staff reviewed ImmTrac and called parents whose students lacked documented vaccination to confirm outside vaccinations.
The district will visit every campus between Sept. 23 and Oct. 20. Elementary schools will receive half-day clinics while middle and high schools will get full-day clinics to accommodate schedules and class pull-outs. Pena said the schedule took city holidays, staff development days and testing dates into account and that campuses rotate positions on the schedule from year to year.
Communications and outreach will include emails, text messages and phone calls using contact information in Skyward, social media posts, flyers sent home with students and campus parent-liaison group chats, Pena said. "They use the phone number and email that are on Skyward," she said.
Trustee Veronica d. Ordono asked whether messages go to all parents; Pena said outreach targets the phone numbers and addresses on file and also uses social media and parent meetings to reach families.
Pena and staff said vaccine hesitancy in the community likely contributed to lower rates at some campuses. The district’s goal remains 50% per campus; officials said they will consider a second health-department visit for campuses with low turnout depending on the department’s availability.
The presentation did not include formal board action. Trustees asked for continued updates on clinic turnout and for confirmation that outreach materials were being distributed districtwide.
