HOT SHOTS: BACK TO SCHOOL MEANS IMMUNIZATIONS FOR KIDS

Paul Unterreiner, 15, was vaccinated against the Hepatitis B virus along with his two sisters before they return to school.

Cape County Health Department health nurse Ladeva Enderle gave a hepatitis B vaccine shot to Sarah Unterreiner, 15.

Children who line up for immunizations as they prepare for another school year may wonder why they need all these shots.

The answer is simple, said Nurse Practitioner Nancy Mosley of the Cape Girardeau County Health Department. "We want healthy kids," she said. "Anytime we can prevent an illness, that's good."

Immunizations work, Mosley said. "We don't see too many children die of measles anymore," she said.

Public Health Nurse Tammie Koenig agreed. "We're working on prevention," she said. "There is no reason for children to have measles, mumps or rubella or any of the bad side effects that can come from those diseases."

Immunizations begin at birth and most are scheduled to be completed by age 2.

In Cape Girardeau County, 92.8 percent of children are adequately immunized by age 2. The statewide rates hover around 70 percent.

Those percentages rise dramatically as children reach kindergarten age.

Missouri law requires that children entering public school be immunized against a checklist of communicable diseases, including measles, mumps and rubella.

School nurses check every child's immunization record to make sure the shots are up to date.

On Thursday, the Cape Girardeau County Health Department took its immunization show on the road to a school care fair at May Greene Elementary School.

At May Greene, youngsters could get the shots needed for school, physicals and lots of other information while registering for school.

This marked the first time the health department offered immunizations at a school, said Charlotte Craig, director of the health department.

"This was done in the spirit of bringing down barriers to health care," said Craig. "This area traditionally has troubles with transportation.

In addition, August is crunch time for many parents who need immunizations and pre-school physicals for children.

"We're trying to do what we're supposed to do, make it easier to access health care," Craig said.

Craig added that nurses take opportunities, like the school fair, to promote immunizations.

"We will talk to parents to see of they have other children who need physicals or shots," she said.

Immunizations are available at no cost to parents from the health department. For information, call the Public Health Center, 1171 Linden, at 335-7846.

The health department also can provide copies of birth certificates for a $10 fee.