IMMUNIZING EFFORTS

There is little question that more effort is needed to make sure Missouri's children are properly immunized against childhood diseases. A bill before the General Assembly addresses the fact that the state has one of the poorest immunization records in the country, but it goes too far in trying to correct the situation.

Overall, Missouri is tied for the last-place ranking among the 50 states as far as childhood immunizations go. In Cape Girardeau County, more than 70 percent of all children are property immunized. But there is still a crying need for the rest to get the shots they need.

The biggest case for immunizing children is that it is easier and much less expensive to protect against illness and disease than it is to treat the illness or disease if they occur. It is only common sense in this case that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

To that end, the proposed legislation would require insurance providers to cover immunization costs for children up to 3 years old without any deductible, co-payment or co-insurance. Sadly, the children who aren't immunized tend to be from homes where it is least likely parents will have health insurance. Therefore, a law that forces insurance companies to provide free immunizations won't mean much to families with no insurance.

Then there is the fact that county health departments across the state provide the free shots. Despite this, many children remain exposed to diseases as common as chicken pox. Why? Mainly because they are in child-care facilities or parents can't get time off from jobs or don't have transportation to get to the nearest county health department.

The other part of the proposed legislation addresses that problem by permitting parents to give written permission for their children to be taken by another responsible adult to be immunized. While most parents would prefer to take their children to get a shot, because of the trauma involved, some parents find that difficult to do. Allowing a day-care provider or relative to take a child to get a free shot at the county health department could go a long way to improving the state's immunization record.

Legislators in other states already have approved similar legislation that includes both provisions: the one for insurance providers to cover the cost of immunizations and the designation of someone other than the parent to take a child for a shot. Missouri's legislators must consider carefully the ramifications of this proposal instead of enthusiastically endorsing it simply because it involves children.