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CNN Live At Daybreak

In Ohio, School Superintendent Discusses Mass Inoculations

Aired June 08, 2001 - 07:20   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Lou Ramunno is superintendent of the West Branch School System. He joins us this morning from Beloit, Ohio.

Good morning, Mr. Ramunno.

LOU RAMUNNO, SUPERINTENDENT, WEST BRANCH SCHOOLS: Good morning.

LIN: Well, this inoculation program today sounds like a pretty massive logistical nightmare. How is it going to work?

RAMUNNO: It's well thought out. It's going to work pretty well. I think we have our traffic pattern set up. The Department of Health has done a really nice job in setting things up, and they'll move fairly quickly.

LIN: How many calls have you gotten to the public health hot line now from people?

RAMUNNO: They tell me they've gotten several hundred.

LIN: I can imagine. Well, I'm just wondering why are you limiting shots to only six high schools. Why isn't it broader?

RAMUNNO: They felt that the six high schools were all-inclusive, since they dealt with the kids. The interaction between the kids are the most frequent between those six high schools. So they felt that was the population that needed to be targeted.

LIN: How is the community handling this scare? How are parents and children reacting to it?

RAMUNNO: Well, naturally the community's pretty frightened and they're confused. There are trying to learn as much as they can about the bacteria -- how it's transmitted, the history of it -- so they can protect their own children. I think as they understand more about the process itself and how it's transmitted, they'll be more comfortable with it, and they'll be able to move on.

LIN: Do you have any theories about how this started?

RAMUNNO: No. There's no way that anybody knows, nor will they ever know. It was just transferred somehow.

LIN: Somehow. RAMUNNO: Through casual contact.

LIN: But it's not airborne. It has to be through someone's saliva. Is that right?

RAMUNNO: Oh, yes -- and I take that back: not casual contact; it needs to be direct contact. It needs to be intimate contact for that to occur.

LIN: You've already had two students die. I think one is still in serious condition. How is that student doing?

RAMUNNO: The information I have is that student's doing very well. That student is not entirely out of the woods, but is getting stronger and responding every day.

LIN: Is school in session in the meantime, this entire time?

RAMUNNO: No, school hasn't been in session here since we got information of the first young man.

LIN: Well, at this point what's the message that you want to tell parents in terms of ways that you can assure people?

RAMUNNO: I think parents have to understand that this has always been around, that it's with the population every day, and this set of circumstances created this. And they'll just understand it, get as much information, and move on from there.

LIN: And what are you being told in terms of how to prevent the spread, other than the inoculation program? Are there simple things that people should think about as they go about through their day?

RAMUNNO: Sure. They are very specific about that -- just regular hygienic practices: Don't share food, don't lick ice cream cones, don't share water bottles, and when you sneeze or transfer any saliva, have a handkerchief around with you.

LIN: Well, Lou Ramunno, I know you're not a doctor, but you've probably learned more about meningitis than you ever thought.

RAMUNNO: More than I wanted to.

LIN: Good luck with the inoculation program today.

RAMUNNO: Thank you very much.

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