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: HEAD LICE FLU CLINIC BOARD OF HEALTH MEETING DECEMBER 1, 1980 The regular meeting of the Board of Health was held Monday, December 1, 1980 in the Board of Health Office, Room G-25 of the Town Office Building. Members present were: Dr. William L. Cosgrove, Chairman, Mr. James W. Lambie, Dr. Michael S. Erdos and Mr. George A. Smith, Director of Public Health. The minutes of the last meeting were approved as read. Mr. Smith reported that there were head lice in the schools. He said he had gone to several of the schools in regard to this. Nurses told him that there had been about 37 cases, some schools having more cases than others. He said the problem is not any more severe than in past years. Dr. Cosgrove said that 37 cases isn't bad for the whole school population. Mr. Smith said that some parents don't want to take the child to the doctor. He said in one case that a mother had contacted lice also. Mr. Smith went on to say that most people assume that the problem comes from the schools alone but there are other sources such as Sunday School classes, Hayden, Etc. He said the nurses are doing a good job and if they have more than 3 ni#A they are sent home. Mr. Smith said that other towns have had a more severe problem than Lexington did. He said that school cloakrooms are really close. The lice go from one coat to another. Parents could put their coats in a "Hefty" bag while the child attends school. Mr. Smith said when a child has the proper treatment with the prescribed shampoo it seems to take care of the problem. He said where "head lice" is not a reportable disease, it is really hard to know exactly how many chil- dren have had this problem this year. Mr. Smith told the Board that we had run the flu clinic and we gave about 600 shots of flu vaccine at this year's clinic. The State had alloted us 560 does and he had to call the drugstore and purchase 40 doses more. Mr. Smith said it was a very good clinic. Dr. Erdos said when he was in private practice, he always told his elderly patients to go to the Flu Clinic and receive the vaccine rather than come to the office and pay a fee. Dr. Erdos said it was too bad that the nursing homes couldn't have received the vaccine free of charge. Mr. Smith said that we always had given doses of the vaccine to the nursing homes when they requested it but when the State cut us way back, we were unable to give the nursing homes any vaccine. SANITARIAN'S Mrs. Gabriel, Sanitarian for the Health Department made her report to the REPORT Board. Mrs. Gabriel said she was sorry that she had missed the last two meetings but she had been at meetings in Maynard on those nights.