In 2014, Dartmouth-Hitchcock began providing school flu immunization clinics for children and youth in schools in the NH-Upper Valley Public Health region, expanding a program that had primarily served Lebanon, NH schools to one serving all public schools in the 12-town NH Upper Valley Public Health Region.  In 2017, we began additionally serving schools in the Greater Sullivan County Public Health Region.  These immunizations are supported with funding from the NH DHHS Immunization Program.  Dartmouth-Hitchcock partners with these schools, as well as with Paramedics from Lebanon and Hanover Fire Departments, nurses from Mascoma Community Health Center, New London Hospital, Valley Regional Hospital, and the Lake Sunapee Regional Visiting Nurse Alliance to provide these immunizations.  

School clinics provide an easy access point for providing flu immunizations to children and adolescents when consented to be parents/guardians.  Influenza is highly contagious, making schools a major risk for spread of the flu when students are not vaccinated.  School clinics also help parents by reducing the need to take time from work to transport children to clinics for these immunizations.  Finally, many students who might otherwise not have easy access to vaccinations can be immunized can access shots during the school day.