Mall Santas say H1N1 flu risks warrant early vaccinations
Dan Gromer and wife Mary break out their Santa and Mrs. Claus costumes Tuesday at their Antelope home. They plan to take precautions against the swine flu virus, but Dan Gromer is not eligible for early vaccination.
The thought of kids with runny noses sitting in Santa's lap sharing their deepest desires and germs this holiday season isn't eliciting the usual "Ho, ho, ho." It's more of an "Oh, no, no."
As in, "Oh no, don't give Santa swine flu."
Santas everywhere are saying they should be first in line to get the H1N1 vaccine – even though many don't fit the priority groups getting the shots.
"I don't want people to stay away from Santa, but they need to bring their kids in healthy," said Daniel Gromer, a local Santa. "Because Santa can't deliver toys if he's sick."
For the last six years, Gromer has been Santa Claus to thousands of children at Sacramento regional malls, and at his nonprofit toy and food drives he runs with Mrs. Claus, his wife, Mary.
Mary Gromer has asthma and can get the vaccine. Daniel Gromer, however, hasn't been eligible.
The Gromers have called and called local health care providers and have been turned down.
"My husband usually gets the flu or bronchitis each year from being exposed," said Mary Gromer. "Usually by Christmas Day, he's sick."
Ernest Berger, president of the national organization Santa America, said Santas "come in contact with more children than any other person or profession. Very few health care workers or teachers will see that many children."
It's not just the never-ending onslaught of children that makes Santas fear swine flu.
"Many of our Santas are over 100 pounds overweight," said Berger. "It puts them at enormous risk."
Obese people have been more susceptible to H1N1, probably due to underlying illnesses such as diabetes, Berger said.
Other groups with significant exposure to children also feel overlooked.
Victor Guerra, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union, the area's bus driver union, said they got the seasonal flu shot for the drivers but not the H1N1 vaccine.
"We're all worried about it," he said. "We're out in the public and we carry around a bunch of people in an enclosed space."
Because of limited H1N1 vaccine supplies, most health care providers follow the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's protocols reserving the vaccine for the highest-risk groups: pregnant women; health care workers; people ages 6 months to 24 years; adults ages 24-64 with an underlying medical condition; and those caring for children under 6 months old.
Santa America asked an Alabama congressman last week to make Santas a priority group, Berger said. He said the congressman's staff is looking into the matter.
Another national Santa association called the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas recently held a seminar on ways to prevent H1N1 transmission.
Members were urged not to wear cotton gloves (which absorb the virus) and told to regularly use hand sanitizers. They advised Santas to take vitamins and see their doctors.
And Santa America recommended that Santas – in a jolly way – ask children to be "nice" and use the hand sanitizer, too.
But Berger worries that all the precautions will detract from the Santa experience.
"We can't turn this into a hygiene exercise," he said.
Similarly, Dr. Ravinder Khaira, a Sutter pediatrician, urged parents to use common sense but not be paranoid.
"You can't live in a bubble," he said. "I don't see any reason why you can't have children go out and visit Santa and enjoy the holiday season."
Meanwhile, the Gromers worry that by the time more vaccine is available, it will be too late.
For instance, Sacramento County's free vaccine clinics plan to serve non-priority groups after Thanksgiving. The Gromers start working at malls in early December, and the vaccine takes a week or two to kick in.
Tuesday afternoon, they were wrapping toy and food collection barrels for their nonprofit, Destiny City Help, which distributes the donations to children in need.
Their house in Antelope has become a local holiday destination: Every inch of spare outside space is decorated with 130,000 lights, gigantic lollipops and other decorations.
In the days leading up to Christmas, they hold Santa events there, including one in which up to 4,000 flock to their home, they said.
They hope H1N1 doesn't put all of this in peril.
"When I come outside as Santa, the kids go nuts," Daniel Gromer said. "They look forward to Christmas all year, and I can't let them down."
The Gromers are planning their own safeguards.
Daniel Gromer will wear latex gloves under his white nylon Santa gloves, and the Santa suit will get laundered daily. Mary Gromer and their two elves will screen for sick children.
But Daniel Gromer worries about the period when a child is contagious but doesn't show symptoms.
"When kids sit on my lap, they love to squeeze and hug me because my suit is so soft and velvet," he said. "All it takes is for one sick child to turn me into a ball of germs."
Dan Gromer checks out the 130,000 lights decorating his Antelope home for Christmas. Gromer and his wife run Destiny City Help, a nonprofit providing toys and food to families for the holidays.
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