STUDENTS NOT IMMUNIZED WILL BE BARRED FROM SCHOOL

Parents of school-age children that are not in compliance with the state school immunization law will find their children barred from entering school when classes begin in late August or early September.

That's because of several changes in Missouri's school immunization law that were approved last year by the General Assembly and signed by Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan. The changes go into effect this fall.

One major change is elimination of the 15-school-day grace period for parents to have their children immunized according to the requirements.

Now, if a school-age child has not received all the required immunizations by the time school begins, he won't be allowed to attend school until the shots are given.

"We are having too many medical problems with too many school-age children that are totally uncalled for if the required immunizations were administered," said Bob Castor, spokesman for the Missouri Department of Health's Southeast Missouri Regional Office at Poplar Bluff. "Most of the shots that are required should have been given at pre-school age.

"But for whatever reason, parents or guardians are not making the effort to have this done by the time a child enters school.

"The result is outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases that we're seeing around the state, such as the measles outbreak in the St. Louis area."

Besides eliminating the 15-day grace period, Castor said other changes in the law now require that all students - kindergarten through 12th grade - must be vaccinated against tetanus before entering school, and students 6 or younger are required to be immunized against whooping cough before starting school.

Castor said other changes in the immunization law reflect new immunization recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

He said, "Students who started kindergarten or were 5 or 6 as of the 1990-91 school year, are now required to have their last dose of diphtheria toxoid (DPT), pertussis (whooping cough), and tetanus toxoid vaccine at age 4 or older.

"If they have not received it after age 4, an additional DPT dose is required unless they have already received six or more doses. Pertussis vaccine is not required for children ages 7 or older."

Castor said that previously only diphtheria toxoid was required, and the last diphtheria dose was administered at age 3 or older.

He said, "A fourth type of polio vaccine was added this year, Enhanced-Potency Inactivated Polio Vaccine (E-IPV). If E-IPV is used, three doses are required. The last dose of oral polio vaccine or E-IPV must have been administered at age 4 or older.

"This is also a change from the previous polio requirements, which indicated that the last dose was to be given at age 3 or older."

Another change in the immunization law that went into effect last year now requires all students be immunized for mumps before they will be allowed to enter school.

Castor said medical and religious exemptions from the school immunization law have not changed. He said that before a child can enter school parents must give the school a signed card that exempts their child from the required immunizations for medical or religious reasons.

"The card states that parents know if there is an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease in the school, their child will be excluded from school to protect that child and to minimize the medical threat the unimmunized child presents to himself and other students," he said.

Jackson School Superintendent Wayne Maupin said the school district has been working this year to get the word out to all parents of school-age children about the changes in the immunization law.

Maupin said, "Our school nurses will brief the school board about the changes in the law at our May 24 board meeting. We are also sending home notices to parents alerting them of the changes this fall.

"At our kindergarten enrollment this year, and at screenings that will be held this summer, we are also passing along information on the changes in the immunization law.

"We do not want to exclude any child from attending school on opening day, however, we have no choice. The law is specific, and we think it is a good law, because it is designed to protect the health and welfare of the student population and faculty."

Maupin said Jackson school nurses already have held several immunization clinics during the school year to help students meet the new immunization requirements before school begins this fall.

"We urge parents in the Jackson School District to cooperate and take responsibility to make sure all students are in compliance before school starts in August," he said.

Charlotte Craig, director of the Cape Girardeau County Health Center, said the center offers free childhood immunization and booster shot clinics each month.

The center also works each year with school nurses in Cape Girardeau, Jackson and other county schools, to schedule in-school immunization clinics.

Craig said, "We provide the vaccine and extra nurses to assist the school nurses in giving the immunizations at no charge, so there is no excuse why a child should not be immunized in time for the start of school."

Echoing Castor's remarks, Craig said, "We still have a measles problem in Missouri, and across the nation. We are also seeing a lot of whooping cough, which has never gone away.

"We need to take care of these unimmunized kids who needlessly expose their peers to unnecessary and costly medical problems, some of which have the potential to become serious medical problems.

"When kids get sick or make others sick because of a vaccine-preventable disease it means missed school days, lost work time by parents to take care of their sick children, and it can affect the well-being and future health of these children."

Craig said school immunization and booster shot clinics will be held at the health center, at 1121 Linden Street in Cape Girardeau on June 15, July 20, and Aug. 10.

Appointments are needed to insure an adequate amount of vaccine is on hand. Call the health center, 335-7846, Monday through Friday, for details, or to make an appointment.