Too often leaders wait until a problem happens and then deal with trying to clean up the messes.

That’s not the case in area schools next week.

All public and private schools in the Western Tidewater Health District have agreed to partner with their local health departments to offer H1N1 vaccinations at schools next week.

The vaccine is being offered at no cost to the school districts or to parents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention purchased the H1N1 vaccine, and they are not charging to administer it.

This proactive approach to a possible crisis is refreshing and needs to be commended.

Virginia is now reporting widespread H1N1 activity, the CDC is saying.

Many parents may have reservations about the vaccine itself because it was produced very quickly, which has generated fear that it hasn’t been tested thoroughly.

Keep in mind that the H1N1 vaccine was made in the same way, using the same processes, as the seasonal flu vaccine.

The health departments and schools are smart to target the people who may need the vaccinations most — our children.

Schools, no matter how clean they are kept, are breeding grounds for germs. Kids are on the front lines of the battle against H1N1, and thanks to the vaccines, they will be armed accordingly.