New York Public School Nurses Give Swine Flu Vaccine to Kids Without Parental Consent, Nikiyah Torres-Pierre Ends Up in Hospital

A School nurse at Public School 335 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, mistakenly gave the swine flu vaccine to two students who didn't sign up for it and one student, Nikiyah Torres-Pierre, who suffers from epilepsy, ended up in the hospital. Her mother, Naomi Troy, was visibly upset in an interview with the NY Daily News and said her daughter had a possible allergic reaction to the shot. The child, who was immediately taken to the hospital, said, "My stomach was hurting, and I was itching." This error also occurred at a Staten Island school on the first day of the city's in-school H1N1 vaccination program. Most parents, including me, have some serious reservations about this vaccine, despite some doctors saying that it is safe.

Troy was waiting for advice from her family doctor on whether Nikiyah should get the shot since she takes medicine to control her epilepsy. When the nurse called for a student Thursday morning, Nikiyah's teacher misunderstood and sent the wrong student, Troy said.

The error was compounded when the nurse didn't check Nikiyah's name before sticking her in the shoulder, the mother said. "The school made a horrible mistake," she added. "They never asked for her name. They have no paperwork....How do you make a mistake like this?" After the mistake was discovered, officials summoned Troy to the school, she said. Troy said the nurse - a Department of Health employee - tried to get her to sign a consent form, after the fact. Source: NY Daily News

The Health Department has launched an investigation into this horrible mix-up. There must be better safeguards in place to ensure that this does not occur again. So parents, watch out, the H1N1 vaccine may be coming to  your child's school. What is the purpose of the consent form? If a teacher does not receive one from the child's parents, then that simply means you do not administer the vaccine to that child. Isn't that easy to comprehend?