Junior Jenny Cooke receives the vaccine from a McKinley staffer. Uni Web site photo by Andrew LaPointe (click to enlarge)

URBANA — Slightly more than 27 percent of all Uni students took advantage of the opportunity to receive an H1N1 vaccination Monday at Uni Gym.

Staff members from the McKinley Health Center were on hand to administer the live intranasal version of the H1N1 vaccine, which was the only form available.

Students needed signed permission slips from their parents to get the vaccine.

"We had about 95 permission slips turned in, and 85 of those [students] showed up," said Assistant Director Sue Kovacs. That number represents 27.3 percent of the student population.

According to Kovacs, there were a variety of reasons why other students didn't get the vaccine.

"Some of the kids have been vaccinated by their own doctors or public health," she said. "Some of them are waiting for the shot form, because they have health problems like asthma, and they can't take the live version, which is what we had today."

In a letter to parents last week, Director Jeff Walkington explained that the live intranasal form "is not safe for certain students with compromised immune systems or severe allergies to eggs or other substances in the vaccine."

He advised parents to contact their health-care provider if they are not sure their children should receive the vaccine.

The vaccinations were given just as Uni had recovered from a major spike in student absences due to illness. According to figures provided by the main office, here were the daily student absences from Oct. 19 to 30:

Week of Oct. 19-23

• Monday: 21 students (6.8 percent of student body)
• Tuesday: 36 students (11.6 percent)
• Wednesday: 47 students (15.1 percent)
• Thursday: 91 students (29.3 percent)
• Friday: 120 students (38.6 percent)

Week of Oct. 26-30

• Monday: 75 students (24.1 percent)
• Tuesday: 40 students (12.9 percent)
• Wednesday: 23 students (7.4 percent)
• Thursday: 7 students (2.2 percent)
• Friday: 8 students (2.6 percent)

As the figures show, the number of absent students peaked at 120 on Oct. 23 — well over one-third of the student body — and declined to less than 3 percent by the end of last week. Six to eight absent students is about normal for Uni.

More Photos: H1N1 Vaccine at Uni Gym

Dr. Robert Palinkas, director of the University of Illinois McKinley Health Center, looks on with Uni Assistant Director Sue Kovacs as students receive the H1N1 vaccine in Uni Gym. Uni Web site photo by Andrew LaPointe (click to enlarge)

Sophomore Tanya Denisova checks in for her vaccination. Uni Web site photo by Andrew LaPointe (click to enlarge)