2 NYC Students Get Swine Flu Vaccine Without Consent Form

Two elementary school students have been given the H1N1 swine influenza vaccine without proper parental consent, according to New York City officials.

In a joint statement from the Health and Education departments, officials said that 1,800 schoolchildren have been vaccinated this week, and that one student at a school on Brooklyn and another on Staten Island didn't have permission from their parents.

The children did not suffer any bad affects, said Erin Brady of the Health Department, "but we are working to determine how this misstep occurred, and we will develop additional safeguards to prevent similar instances in the future."

The two schools were P.S. 335 at 130 Rochester Avenue in Brooklyn and P.S. 65 (the Academy of Innovative Learning) at 98 Grant Street on Staten Island.

Nurses are required to confirm parental consent and review each child's health screening information before administering the vaccine.

Earlier this week, Health Department officials said that fewer than half of school parents have returned signed consent forms, indicating either a lack of proper information or concern about the vaccine's safety.

Weekend vaccine clinics for middle-school and high-school students will be held in each borough during November and December, officials said.