KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - Today, Public Health - Seattle & King County is urging families to prepare early for the new school year by making sure all children's immunizations are up to date. Local law requires children to have the proper immunizations before they return to school.
"Immunizations are a very safe and effective way to keep our children and communities healthy," said King County Executive Ron Sims.
"Outbreaks can disrupt classes and keep children out of school," said Dr. Alonzo Plough, Director of Public Health - Seattle & King County. "However, with proper immunizations for our school children, outbreaks are preventable."
"Delaying vaccinations or not vaccinating puts children and others in the community at increased risk for preventable and potentially serious infections," said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Chief of Public Health's Communicable Disease, Epidemiology and Immunization Section. "In addition to the risk of becoming infected with a vaccine-preventable disease, a child who is not fully immunized may be excluded from attending school or childcare during an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease and can spread the infection to others."
New school requirements for this fall
This school year, one more grade will need to show proof of certain vaccines. Hepatitis B vaccine is now required for students enrolled in kindergarten through seventh grade; students entering kindergarten through fourth 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/school.htm. Please remember to bring shot records to all clinics.
"Make sure that your child's immunizations are up to date. Acting now will also mean shorter waits for immunizations and avoiding the rush right before school starts," said Betsy Hubbard, Public Health's Immunization Coordinator.
Summary of school requirements by grade
Kindergarten through fourth grade: Children enrolled in kindergarten through fourth grade in fall 2004 are required to have the appropriate series of diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis (DTaP, DTP, DT or Td) and polio vaccines, two doses of measles/mumps/rubella (MMR), and a series of hepatitis B vaccines.
Fifth grade: Children enrolled in 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.
Grades six and seven: Students entering sixth and seventh grade are required to have the appropriate series of diphtheria/tetanus/ pertussis (DTaP, DTP, DT or Td) and polio vaccines and a second dose of measles-containing vaccine, preferably MMR. They must also have a series of hepatitis B vaccines. A booster dose of tetanus/diphtheria (Td) vaccine is recommended for 11-17 year olds.
Grades eight through twelve: Students entering eighth through twelfth grades are required to have the appropriate series of diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis (DTaP, DTP, DT or Td) and polio vaccines, and two doses of measles-containing vaccine, preferably MMR. Hepatitis B vaccine is not required for school entry for these grades. A booster dose of tetanus/diphtheria (Td) vaccine is recommended for 11-17 year olds.
New students:
All 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.
Because seven different vaccines were in short supply during 2001 and 2002, some doses of vaccine may have been deferred. Now that supply of all routine vaccines has returned to normal, it is very important to be sure all persons, both children and adults, are not missing any doses.
Risks in not vaccinating
Parents or legal guardians have the right to choose not to immunize their children, based on 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 are significant risks, however, when choosing against vaccination.
For more facts about vaccine-preventable diseases, vaccine safety, the immune system, and how vaccines work, read "Plain Talk about Childhood Immunizations," an internationally-recognized booklet for parents: www.metrokc.gov/health/immunization/childimmunity.htm
