The State Department of Health (HEALTH) has sent out thousands of letters to parents asking for permission to immunize their children against what’s believed to be an impending swine flu epidemic.

The letter released Monday states, “School vaccination clinics will begin in November, or possibly earlier, depending on the availability of the vaccine.” But according to School Superintendent Margaret Iacovelli, there is no concrete timetable in place.

“They haven’t kept on the timetable that I’ve been given. The information I receive changes daily,” she said, noting that she understands their predicament, with the demand for a vaccine growing as winter approaches.

To stay abreast of changes, Iacovelli speaks with HEALTH officials each Wednesday at 4 p.m. for an update conference call. She then uses the district’s Web site and AlertNow, the schools’ electronic communications system, to keep parents informed.

“I think the more information you can give parents the better they feel,” she said.

The superintendent has not fielded too many questions from families, however, which she thinks can be attributed to the department’s early action.

“I was proactive and went out first thing this year and put out information on what we were doing,” she said.

The H1N1 virus, already declared a pandemic by the Centers for Disease Control, estimates 30 to 50 percent of the population could come down with the disease. Some schools are already reporting swine scares, but Iacovelli said that Johnston’s attendance does not reflect a potential problem at this time.

“I can’t report what other schools are reporting. My attendance is excellent,” she said.

That is not to say that the Johnston School Department is not prepared for a potential outbreak.

“We are all set whenever they tell us. We have our plan in place,” said Iacovelli yesterday. “When you’re dealing with so many kids you just take it day by day. We’re doing everything that we can possibly do.”

Much of the preparation is personal, however. Students should wash their hands frequently and stay home if they are demonstrating flu-like symptoms.

HEALTH officials are expecting a huge demand for the vaccination. Spokeswoman Anne-Marie Beardsworth acknowledged yesterday that the demand for the vaccine would outpace the supply, especially when it first arrives.

Therefore, the vaccination will be delivered to communities in a staggered fashion. Beardsworth said the Health Department had not yet established how it would decide which communities would be chosen to receive the vaccination before others.

“The goal is to have all the schools in a community hold their clinics at the same time,” said Beardsworth. “We don’t want to have the elementary schools done at one time and then the high schools and middle schools done another time.”

That information also conflicts with what has been passed down to the superintendent.

“The schools are going to be done on a lottery so that Johnston will not get it all on the same day,” she said.

Regardless of how the schools are selected, HEALTH is pushing the vaccine. A letter from Director David Gifford states, “the vaccine against H1N1 influenza virus [sometimes called swine flu] is the best way to protect your child from this potentially serious disease and to prevent the spread of illness in schools.”

Parents will be able to have their children vaccinated for free, and the program is completely voluntary. Adults will not be required to attend the clinics with their children, though Iacovelli said parents could attend with their elementary child if they so choose.

Gifford attempted to assure parents that the vaccination was safe in his letter.

“The H1N1 vaccination is safe, and I plan to have my child get the vaccine,” Gifford wrote.

Assuming parents consent to the vaccine, the Health Department will immunize students in middle and high school during school hours, while elementary school students will generally receive the vaccination after school.

“The vaccine is voluntary but it’s also going to be administered to children when they’re registered in the school,” said Iacovelli, explaining that families with one child at the elementary level and another at the secondary level, for example, will need them to be immunized at their respective schools.

A consent form is necessary to do so. Although an e-mail Iacovelli received yesterday reported that forms could be passed in on the same day as the vaccination, she advised families to make the choice beforehand.

“We need to get those consent forms back because that’s how we’re going to know how much vaccine is going to be needed,” she said.

Children ages 6 months to 5 years old will be eligible to receive the vaccination at their pediatrician’s office.