Officials remind parents of need for 2nd flu shot for young children

While almost 9,000 Winneshiek County residents have gotten H1N1 flu shots in Winneshiek County this flu season, there are a few of them who aren't finished yet.

Winneshiek County Public Health officials say kids ages 10 and under need TWO flu shots in order for the shots to be effective. And while many Winneshiek County kids have gotten that second flu shot, around 300 of them have not. "They truly are not immunized (against H1N1)," says Public Health Department spokesperson Nancy Sacquitne.

That means county health officials are trying to contact the parents of these children. County Health Nurse Krista Vanden Brink says her department has sent out postcards to the families. If they don't bring in their kids for a second shot, county health officials will make phone calls. Vanden Brink says her agency is trying to get the word out that a second dose of the H1N1 vaccine is needed to keep young kids from getting the flu.