KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - Now is the time for families in King County to prepare for going back to school, and Public Health - Seattle & King County recommends that the best place to start is by making sure that all of your child's immunizations are up to date.

"Keep your children healthy by staying current with immunization records," said Dr. Alonzo Plough, Director of Public Health - Seattle & King County. "Without a doubt, immunizations are one of the safest and most effective ways to maintain good health and prevent disease."

New requirements for this fall

Hepatitis B vaccine is now required for students enrolled in kindergarten through fifth grade and students entering kindergarten through second grade will be required to show proof of having received two doses of measles-containing vaccine, one dose of mumps-containing vaccine, and one dose of rubella-containing vaccine.

For information on special back-to-school immunization clinics in King County as well as Public Health immunization clinic sites, addresses and phone numbers, call the Public Health Hotline at (206) 296-4949 or visit: www.metrokc.gov/health/immunization/backtoschool.htm

Please remember to bring your shot record with you to all clinics.

Summary of requirements

Kindergarten, first and second grade: Children enrolled in kindergarten, first grade and second grade in fall 2002 are required to have the appropriate series of diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis (DTaP or DTP) and polio vaccines, two doses of measles/mumps/rubella (MMR), and a series of hepatitis B vaccines.

Third through fifth grade: Children enrolled in third through fifth grade are required to have the appropriate series of diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis (DTaP, DTP, DT or Td) and polio vaccines, one dose of measles/mumps/rubella vaccine (MMR), and a series of hepatitis B vaccines.

Sixth grade and new students: Students entering sixth grade and students who are new to the district are required to have a second dose of measles-containing vaccine, preferably MMR, in addition to the requirements for earlier grade levels.

A booster dose of tetanus/diphtheria (Td) vaccine is recommended for 11-17 year olds. Although there has been a nationwide shortage of Td vaccine since late 2000, supply is returning to normal. Providers are beginning to recall patients who were unable to get Td vaccine earlier because of the shortage.

Parents or legal guardians have the right to choose not to immunize their child, based upon medical, religious or philosophical reasons. Parents or legal guardians must sign the appropriate box on the Certificate of Immunization Status form to exempt their child from receiving vaccines required for school entry. There is a risk when choosing against vaccination. In addition to the potential risk of becoming infected with a vaccine-preventable disease if he or she is exposed to the illness, a child who is not fully immunized also may be excluded from attending school or childcare during an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease.