Posted at: 09/26/2012 4:49 PM
Updated at: 09/26/2012 8:17 PM
By: Brianna Long

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Olmsted County Students Line up for Their Flu Shots

(ABC 6 News) -- Fall is finally here, and along with the leaves changing, and the cooler weather; it's also time to think about flu shots.

Students at Byron Elementary School were lined up in the cafeteria, but it wasn't lunchtime. They were getting their flu vaccines.

"It's an awesome thing to do. Things are going well. I suspect today, we'll vaccinate about 175 people here at Byron," said Therese Appel-Jacobs, with Mayo Clinic.

The program, put together by Olmsted Medical Center, Mayo Clinic, and Public Health, started with six schools last year. This year, every elementary school in Olmsted County is taking part.

"This year it was quite a large undertaking to reach out to more children, and to provide the convenience and hopefully prevent communicable disease," said Brenda Hoffman with the Olmsted Medical Center.

The process is simple; the kids go in, get their shot or mist, pick out a sticker, and they're on their way. It's the convenience that, organizers say, makes the program so successful.

"Parents are realizing that it's very convenient for us to come in to the school, to vaccinate the children because they don't have to take time off work," said Appel-Jacobs.

At the end of the day, it's all about keeping people healthy.

"You promote good hand washing and that sort of thing. But when you have that many children, they get sick, they can take it home to their siblings and their parents," said Hoffman.

"Every child, everywhere, can and should be vaccinated," said Appel-Jacobs.

Other counties are now looking at this program to start similar clinics at their schools.