Hawaii Director of Health Dr. Virginia Pressler said Friday that the reason the Stop Flu at School program has ceased for private schools in Hawaii is decreasing federal funds.
Hawaii Director of Health Dr. Virginia Pressler said Friday that the reason the Stop Flu at School program has ceased for private schools in Hawaii is decreasing federal funds.
The Department of Health asked insurance companies to help several years ago.
“Really, it’s because of them that we’ve been able to continue as long as we have,” Pressler said.
Federal funds dropped 80 percent from 2012 to 2017, she said.
During the 2009 pandemic, Pressler said, Hawaii was the only state able to do a mass vaccination for school students — because Hawaii was already skilled at doing so.
It has cost about $2 million each year, not counting staffing, to provide the service to most public and private school students, Pressler said.
The state announced Thursday that private school students will no longer get the free vaccinations.