80,000 children of migrant workers get free A/H1N1 jabs in Beijing

"You shouldn’t get the inoculation if you are allergic to penicillin." Bai Yun, who works for the CDC of Shijingshan District talked a junior high first-grader out of the waiting line after carefully examining his history of allergies.

On the morning of Nov. 10, over 90 students were queuing up for the jabs at the door of a classroom at Beijing Blue-sky No.2 High School. Watching out for those who are not fit for the jabs, Bai Yun soon found another 3 girls who had caught a cold and put them on the “unfit” list. Baiyun explained that the children of migrant workers were not left out in the government’s drive to provide free A/H1N1 inoculations for the city's school students. We value the health of every child.

Nov. 10, medical personnel come to a school for children  of migrant workers in Beijing to give the students vaccine  inoculation.

“It’s cold out here, and keep your coat on until you are inside,” Head-teacher Zhao said to Zhang Huidong, a student who comes from Hebei Province.

These children's parents are all migrant workers, who mostly don’t have a good education themselves. Whether their children get the jabs or not is not top of their concerns. So the head-teachers have to take over the responsibility.

"After the students turned in the signed health statements, we called every family again to confirm their children’s history of allergies and vaccinations. We have to be absolutely sure," Zhao said.

In the observation room, first-aid drugs and oxygen bags are readily available and an ambulance is parked right in front of the school building. Any student who is found showing abnormal reactions after getting the inoculation will be taken to the nearest hospital immediately.

At present, massive A/H1N1 flu inoculation for school students is still going on in the city and is expected to be finished in the week. 80,000 students at the 140 schools for children of migrant workers can get the inoculation for free on a voluntary basis.